Summer signing Shayden Morris will excite Aberdeen fans with his lightning pace and attacking talent, insists former coach Barry Nicholson.
Morris recently joined Aberdeen on a four-year contract from Fleetwood Town for an undisclosed fee.
The 20-year-old made his debut in the 3-2 loss to Motherwell at the weekend.
The right-sided winger was introduced as a substitute against ‘Well in the first half for the injured Matty Kennedy.
Morris’ performance was one of the few positives from the dismal defeat.
Fleetwood Town First Team Coach Nicholson worked with Morris for years at the English League One club.
He is confident the Dons have signed a a young talent that can light up the Premiership… and the Red Army.
Nicholson said: “Shayden will be a really exciting player for the Aberdeen fans to watch.
“He is a very direct right sided winger who will hopefully score goals and deliver assists.
“Shayden still has a bit to learn in terms of playing different positions as we tried to play him on the left a couple of times.
“He also needs to work on his game to play inside a little more to allow full-backs to get beyond him.
“Rather than him being out on the touch-line.
“Shayden still has a bit of learning to do, but I think he will be a super exciting player for the Aberdeen fans.”
Morris backed to cement his place in Aberdeen team
Aberdeen had multiple bids for Morris rejected before finally reaching an agreement with Fleetwood, managed by former Aberdeen captain Scott Brown.
Morris was the 10th signing of a summer rebuild that now stands at 11 new additions.
Aberdeen have spent more than £1.5 million in transfer fees during the summer window.
Winger Morris made 51 appearances for Fleetwood before his switch to Pittodrie.
Nicholson said: “Now a club has come in and spent a little bit of money on Shayden, he has to really cement his place at Aberdeen.
“He needs to be a consistent starter at Aberdeen.
“However, if there are matches when he is on the bench, Shayden can really light up the game when he comes on.
“Shayden is a really good kid who deserves his move to Aberdeen.
“I told him he is moving to a big club.
“He wants to learn and Shayden is someone who will work very hard.”
Quickly identified as ‘high performer’
Morris joined Fleetwood Town’s academy from Southend United on a two-year scholarship in 2018,.
The pacey winger signed his first professional contract with Fleetwood in summer 2020.
Such was Morris’ impact that contract was extended just six months later to summer 2023.
Morris made his first team debut as a substitute in the EFL Trophy against Liverpool’s under-21 side in September 2019.
Last season he became a first team regular with 26 appearances for the club in League One.
Nicholson said: “Shayden was very quickly identified as one of the high performers in the U18s.
“He had a rapid rise as he came through our U18s and then spent a bit of time working with our U23s.
“As Shayden is a player that has things most clubs are looking for, such as pure speed, he was quickly pushed up into the Fleetwood Town first-team squad.
“He probably needs to add more goals and assists to his game.
“Once Jim (Goodwin) and his staff get him on the training ground and work hard on that end product, he will be a really good signing for Aberdeen.”
Track record of developing top talent
Former Scotland international Nicholson, 43, played for Aberdeen from 2005 to 2008.
An attacking midfielder, he made more than 100 appearances for the Reds.
Nicholson was part of the team that progressed from the group stages of the UEFA Cup in 2007-08.
That set up a memorable clash with German giants Bayern Munich.
He insists developing young talent for the first team and eventual transfer is a successful model for Fleetwood Town.
Nicholson said: “Before I was at Fleetwood, Jamie Vardy (Leicester City and England striker) was signed from the non-league (FC Halifax Town).
“We have a really good scouting system from the non-league.
“Fleetwood have managed to get a few others through into the first team who are playing regularly now.
“The other model is we try to get as many through as possible from our youth set-up with the 18s and 23s.
“The 23s development squad is a really good step for the lads.
“In the last few months, James Hill has gone to Bournemouth.
“Jay Matete also recently went to Sunderland and Josh Feeney, who is only 16, went to Aston Villa.
“There is a real pathway for players in the youth set-up to get through to the first team and then eventually move on.”
Conversation