Michael Morrison
It's been quite a season so far for 17-year-old Michael Morrison, the latest player to graduate from United's youth system into the first team.
Appointed youth team captain at the start of the season after featuring in several of the first team friendlies, in the last two weeks* he has made his first team debut as a substitute at Halifax, signed his first professional contract, and made his first starts in the LDV win against Chester and the FA Cup at Weymouth.
"Coming after such an upset with the youth team in the FA Youth Cup at Cambridge City, the following week was brilliant," admits the confident central defender. "Being offered pro terms and making my debut made things a little bit better and I was delighted."
But the season hasn't all been plain sailing as Michael makes the step up from the youth team.
"It's been quite difficult," he says. "Obviously in pre-season I was with the first team quite a bit, then I took a bit of a backwards role and was with the youth team a lot. But I was happy to do that and I worked hard, played in the reserve matches, and now the Gaffer's given me a go in the first team and I'm delighted."
Like midfielder Stephen Smith, Morrison has signed a contract to the end of the 2007/08 season, which gives him time to continue learning the game and to push for more appearances in the first team.
"I wasn't expecting to be in the first team at the moment and the club has given me a long deal so time is on my side," says the Bury St. Edmunds-born youngster, "but I've got a foot in the door and hopefully I can keep it there.
"It's been great playing alongside experienced players like Mark Peters and Andy Duncan, with Scott (Howie) behind me too," he adds. "Everyone helps each other out and there's a really good team spirit, and Mark and Andy have been brilliant and have really helped me and the other young lads too."
Following his full debut in the 3-0 win against Chester last Tuesday, the towering centre-half kept his place in an unchanged side for the FA Cup fourth qualifying round tie at Weymouth. However, the 2-1 defeat resulted in exit from the FA Cup at the first hurdle and missing out on a first round tie at Nottingham Forest, which he admits is bitterly disappointing.
"The lads did everything to prepare right for the game, the fans chipped in to pay for the overnight stay, but we didn't really do enough for the fans and it wasn't good enough.
"I thought we played OK but just not good enough. We need to put our chances away and cut out the silly mistakes, which seems to be the trend at the moment away from home.
"It makes today's game massive," he adds. "You need to win these games at home and hopefully we can get three points and start another run going."
Michael is in his second year as a full-time footballer but he first became involved with Cambridge United at the age of 14, when he was one of the boys who followed Dan Ashworth, Kit Carson and Luke Hobbs from Peterborough United when they closed their youth system.
At just 15, whilst still a schoolboy, he became the youngest player to play for Cambridge United reserves, and he was offered his scholarship in the year that Ashworth moved on to WBA.
Starting out as a striker, Michael was converted to centre-half as a 13-year-old and hasn't looked back since, although he grins, "I still fancy myself as a bit of a striker, but it's been a good move really because I doubt if I'd have made it as a striker."
Describing himself as "a hard-working and old-fashioned English centre-half who likes to play it simple", he admits to growing up as an Arsenal fan but adds, "But I'm a local lad so I always had an eye out for how Cambridge were getting on!"
Michael enjoys cinema and golf in his free time, but he reveals that sleep was highest on his list of priorities when he first moved up from the Centre of Excellence system to become a scholar.
Leaving home to become a full-time footballer and live in the youth digs is a big move for any 16-year-old, and he admits it was a tough time both mentally and physically.
"The first month and especially pre-season training was difficult," he says. "We were training in the morning and doing lots of running and then I was just off to sleep!
"I was really tired for the first month and it's difficult when you first come in, but the older lads like Stephen Smith and Adam Davies were all really good and helped us out, and I've not looked back since then. I've really enjoyed training every day, living in the digs and being within the football environment, and the lads all work for each other and help each other out."
Having spent four years developing in United's Centre of Excellence and the youth team, 'Morro' has experienced some great nights in the FA Youth Cup, which accentuates his regret that the young U's were knocked out by Cambridge City at such an early stage this season.
"We've had some great cup runs and some great results at the big clubs," he recalls. "Last year I scored at Hillsborough, which was the highlight of the season for me, and the season before that I got on for the last ten minutes at Leicester's Walker Stadium.
"Obviously it was disappointing this year, but in the previous two years I've been involved the club has done really well in the competition. It's great experience to play at those grounds against the bigger clubs and everyone involved in youth football really looks forward to those games.
"To play at Hillsborough, with all the history in that ground, was brilliant, and to score as well was the icing on the cake."
Asked about the future of his role as captain of the youth team, Michael smiles and comments, "Hopefully I won't be for much longer because hopefully I'll be with the first team, but I've really enjoyed being captain and being given that responsibility.
"I've worked really hard and I think to be made captain recognises that, so I'm delighted with that."
Since moving up to spend more time training with the first team squad, the 17-year-old has enjoyed working with Rob Newman and Tony Spearing and thinks he is learning a lot from the two former Premiership defenders.
"It's brilliant working for them every day because they've both got so much experience and they bring so much to the younger lads. They've been players themselves and Rob's played at the San Siro and at the top of the Premiership and you can just learn so much from them, so hopefully they will be at the club as long as I'm at the club."
Michael's aim now is to continue his involvement with the first team and he reveals, "I'll be looking forward to every Saturday and hoping to be involved with the first team.
"Just being involved a lot more is brilliant; training every day with the first team, and trying to get my foot in at the professional level where the three points matters to everyone every week."
He also hopes to relive his days as a striker by contributing a goal from time to time, and ghosted into the box to go close with a header at Weymouth: "It went just past the post," he recalls.
"I was getting a bit excited about that but I scored a few last season with the youth team so hopefully I might be able to chip in with the odd goal."
(Michael's first goal came on 22nd November with the opener in the LDV win against Doncaster Rovers, and his first league goal came just ten days later with the deciding goal at home to Scarborough - Ed.)
*This interview was first published in the programme for the match against Crawley on 29th October, 2005.
Previous Featured Players:
29Nov05: Ritchie Hanlon
25Oct05: Stephen Smith
05Oct05: Fola Onibuje
29Sep05: Mark Peters
Last season's Featured Players:
15May05: Your Players of the Year 2004/05
10May05: Tes Bramble
05May05: Tom Newey
30Apr05: Adam Tann
23Apr05: Iwan Roberts
10Apr05: Stuart Bimson
17Mar05: Matt Somner
09Mar05: Daniel Chillingworth
24Feb05: Dan Gleeson
17Feb05: Shane Tudor
14Feb05: Richard Hodgson
07Feb05: Warren Goodhind
22Dec04: Darren Quinton
06Dec04: Andy Duncan
24Nov04: John Ruddy
22Oct04: Kingsley Mbome
13Oct04: Jermaine Easter
17Sep04: Justin Walker
09Sep04: John Turner
26Aug04: Luke Guttridge
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