Rovers made their second signing of the summer this Monday by securing the loan move of highly rated Liverpool youngster Tyler Morton. This is the third season in a row that Blackburn have loaned in a player from Liverpool after Harvey Elliott and Leighton Clarkson both joined the club respectively in the last two seasons. Clarkson didn’t live up to expectations after only making 7 appearances during his spell last season however, Elliott became one of the most exciting youngsters to play for Rovers in the past decade. Morton will be hoping to follow in his footsteps.
Morton joins Rovers with nine first team appearances for Liverpool under his belt, this includes starts against FC Porto, Tottenham Hotspur and AC Milan, all of which were impressive performances from the England U20 international. Morton is a holding midfielder with great technical ability, meaning he can play in both the No.6 and No.8 roles for Rovers this season.
He has received high praise from the bosses at Liverpool, with manager Jurgen Klopp reportedly saying the midfielder was “Incredible!” In training and Assistant Manager Pep Lijnders also saying nothing but positives words about him to the Rovers boss, Jon Dahl Thomasson. With Morton being a local Liverpool boy and having the praise of his coaches, it is certain that the Liverpool faithful will have lofty expectations for the youngster, and a successful loan spell at Blackburn could certainly kick-start his career with The Reds.
As much as it’s a positive move for Liverpool, it also is for Blackburn as well, Jon Dahl Thomasson clearly sees talent in him and has been given nothing but positive feedback from the Liverpool hierarchy about Morton. It’s unknown currently how JDT will play Morton in the current 4-2-3-1 system especially with the youngsters' versatility however if I'm taking a guess, he will most likely play in the No.6 defensive midfield area especially with Sammie Szmodics just coming in from Peterborough to add depth to Rovers attacking midfield options.
From a personal fan opinion, I like the look of Morton; his skill on the ball and long-range passing stood out to me when watching videos of the youngster play. JDT has mentioned that Jurgen Klopp “must have trust” in Tyler Morton to start him in Champions League games, and if Klopp trusts a player, you usually want him in your team. The one downfall is that he isn't the biggest of players, this could raise a question of if he can handle the physicality of Championship players, especially if he’s going to be playing in a more defensive role for Rovers. Only time will tell if the youngster is cut out for Championship football. With high remarks being given to him by Liverpool however, it is hard not to be excited for how he will perform in Blue and White halves.