Clinton Morrison

[Stuttgart88]

Anyone see Clinton on Fantasy Football Show on SS1 yesterday? He has put on weight since his heyday but is still a wonderfully engaging character. Had some great anecdotes about Roy Keane, Mick and Saipan etc. Was very open about saying he chose Ireland because it'd offer more opportunity but said it was the best decision he ever made and loved it.

[DannyInvincible]

Balls.ie posted up a video from the show of him talking about Richard Dunne here: https://vid.me/1ubk

When I went to the Ireland setup I looked at him and I thought 'he's a big guy. This guy can't move.' In training, we had 11 v 11, and the ball has gone down the side, and I'm not lying to you know, he cleaned me and the ball and everything and put me basically over the hedges. It was an unbelievable tackle.

They also summarised some of the other stuff he discussed:

Clinton Morrison was the latest veteran of the Mick McCarthy era Irish team to appear on the Fantasy Football Club on Sky Sports.

Unsurprisingly, his team has a very heavy Irish tinge, with six members of the Clinton XI playing alongside him for the green. Shay Given, Steve Finnan, Richard Dunne, Roy Keane, Damien Duff and Robbie Keane were the six men honoured. And few could quibble with these selections.

He waxed lyrical about Robbie's movement, Roy's exacting standards in training, and said that it was a close run thing between Steve Finnan and Stephen Carr. The former got in partly by virtue of the fact that he ensured that Clinton got a feel of a Champions League medal on a night out.

Most interestingly, he observed that Damien Duff was a "quiet shy lad, who didn't used to speak to anyone, who didn't want to socialise." Merse piped up at this point and said that Duff, though he doesn't get much of a mention these days, was "a proper player."

But the biggest chortles were reserved for Richard Dunne.

This was Clinton's "best XI played with":



I assume he played with Ashley Cole when Cole was on loan at Palace earlier in his career, but when would Clinton have played with Ledley King?

[DeLorean]

I assume he played with Ashley Cole when Cole was on loan at Palace earlier in his career, but when would Clinton have played with Ledley King?

Tottenham youth team according to this.

Elsewhere, Clinton goes for former England internationals Ledley King (Tottenham youth team) and Ashley Cole (on-loan at Palace), as well as the great Attilio Lombardo (Crystal Palace) and World Cup-winner Christophe Dugarry (Birmingham City).

[CraftyToePoke]

He is or till recently was, still playing at Mickelover Sports - http://mickleoversportsfc.com/list/1st-team/
Their player manager is John McGrath the ex U21 and Villa / Doncaster / Burton and more, player from Limerick. Irish flag by both their names on the link.

[SwanVsDalton]

He is or till recently was, still playing at Mickelover Sports - http://mickleoversportsfc.com/list/1st-team/
Their player manager is John McGrath the ex U21 and Villa / Doncaster / Burton and more, player from Limerick. Irish flag by both their names on the link.

No wonder they like the Irish with that team name.

[Stuttgart88]

Thanks. I taped the end of the show as I had to go out before he named his team. I look forward to seeing it, sounds good.

[Yard of Pace]

I was at his Ireland debut standing on the south terrace. I remember some moron shouting "where'd ye get yer tan?" at him as he warmed up. Many people turned to hush the racist idiot. It gladdened my soul. We're lucky to have such great characters giving their hearts for Ireland over the years. And what's best is that they know they were lucky to have been able to do it.

[DannyInvincible]

Clinton's version of what happened in Saipan: http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/foo...-Mick-McCarthy

Asked by the show's guest Paul Merson what actually happened, Morrison said: "I don't mind telling you it - I'm that kind of guy.

"Me and Roy were actually working along the beach literally for 10 minutes before. He was talking to me about football and telling me not make sure I'm not here to make up the numbers.

"We went in and had dinner and I remember it because he was sat there, then there was Steve Finnan and I was next to him.

"We had our dinner and we had a little sing-song that I usually started. It was a great little craic.

"Roy was in full spirits, singing, and Mick McCarthy came in. He didn't want us to do any interviews.

"Roy was doing interviews in the paper and maybe Mick could have dealt with the situation a bit different.

"He pulled Roy to the side and basically said: 'You shouldn't be doing this'.

"Roy stood off his chair and I was like oh no here we go. They were arguing, firing it back at each other and Roy was like: 'You're not even Irish, you're English'.

"I put my head down and so did a few others that were born in England!

"He said Mick was a poor player, that he had a poor touch and that he didn't have respect for him. He said the only manager he really had respect for at that time was Sir Alex Ferguson.

"It all went off and I couldn't believe it.

"Roy got up and I felt sorry for Mick. He has to make a decision as you can't do that in front of all the players.

"There were some big characters lke Niall Quinn and Steve Staunton and Mick had to send him home.

"Two days later he was back in Manchester with his Diadora tracksuit, walking his dog!"

[DannyInvincible]

Came across this on Balls.ie; it's an entertaining interview of Clinton Morrison by Slash Football with the aid of a lie detector:



He was asked did he know the words of the national anthem and admitted that he didn't. Amusingly, he did, however, have a way of giving people the impression that he knew the lyrics:

I know the beginning - "Sinne Fianna Fáil" - and that's all I know, and that's what I used to do.

...

I'd stand at the front, 'cause I know the cameras would come on at the front and that would be it. [The camera] would go across.

...

It's good, innit?

Kevin Kilbane, who used to always sing the anthem in full, later revealed on Twitter that Morrison had once pressured him into proving that he knew the words, ha:



After being asked about Saipan and whether he thought Roy Keane was in the right or in the wrong then, Morrison said he felt that, whilst he loved Roy and the team could really have done with him, Roy had been in the wrong. He also revealed after being asked if he thought he was good enough to play for England that he felt he hadn't been good enough. He did add that he felt he could have made a big impact for us, however, had he been given playing time at the World Cup in 2002.

[tricky_colour]

https://www.proboards.com/account/forum

Found this interesting, worth a watch but quite long. I never knew he was named after Hillary Clinton.

[tricky_colour]

Found this interesting, worth a watch but quite long. I never knew he was named after Hillary Clinton.

[Fixer82]

Spoke to a guy the other day from Garristown who said he knew Morrisons there who must be related to Clinton. Always remember him saying his Granny was from Garristown

[paul_oshea]

No i dont think we should call him up.

[Olé Olé]

On Off the Ball today - himself and George Hamilton. In good form as usual. Spoke of how much he loved playing for Ireland, how much he loved the supporters and their staying with the players through thick and thin. Said he doesn't carry his British passport anymore, just his Irish one (not that he mentioned the impact of Brexit on his decision).

He spoke of how, when he was 18, he told Ian Evans (Crystal Palace assistant) that he qualified for Ireland but that Evans didn't believe him. However, Evans went in with Mick McCarthy then as his assistant so Mick called Morrison for a meeting. At the same time, Morrison got an England under 21 call up. Morrison says he went to speak to his grandmother (born in Dundalk) and she told him the decision was up to him but that her and his family would be proud if he played for Ireland and Morrison says that made up his mind for him.

I note that he earned two Irish under 21 caps at that point, before getting his call up a year later in 2001.

[Crosby87]

His middle name is Hubert.