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Alex Morris (footballer)

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Alex Morris
Personal information
Full name Alexander Morris
Date of birth (1982-10-05) 5 October 1982 (age 42)[1]
Place of birth Crewe, England
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[1]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Stoke City U21 (head coach)
Youth career
Years Team
1995–2002 Crewe Alexandra
Managerial career
2022 Crewe Alexandra
2023– Stoke City U21

Alex Morris (born 5 October 1983) is an English professional football manager, and is head coach of Stoke City U21s.

Career

Playing career

Morris joined Crewe Alexandra's youth system aged 12 as a midfielder in 1995 and was a contemporary of players including Dean Ashton, David Vaughan and Lee Bell.[1]

He was a member of Crewe's reserve side which won the Cheshire Senior Cup in 2003. Despite injury difficulties including a stress fracture of his shin, Morris was, alongside fellow Academy graduate Chris McCready, offered a one-year contract by manager Dario Gradi in 2004.[2][3] He remained part of Gradi's first team squad until 2006, but injuries prevented him from making a first-team appearance for the club and forced his early retirement as a player.[1]

Coaching and managerial career

Morris then focussed on earning coaching qualifications, working in Crewe's Academy set-up. He was manager of Crewe's under-18 side that reached the quarter-final of the 2015 FA Youth Cup,[1] beating Arsenal, Bolton and Fulham en route to defeat by eventual finalists Manchester City.[4]

After club manager Steve Davis was sacked in January 2017, the new incoming manager David Artell made Morris part of his senior management team alongside assistant Kenny Lunt.[5] Morris managed the Crewe reserve side which won the Cheshire Senior Cup in May 2017.[1]

Some five years later, as Crewe struggled to avoid relegation from EFL League One, Artell reshuffled his management team, appointing Morris as assistant manager, with Lunt becoming player development manager.[6] After the club was relegated with four games still to play, Crewe parted company with Artell on 11 April 2022, and Morris was appointed interim manager to the end of the 2021–22 season, with Lee Bell as his assistant.[7]

Morris said he wanted Crewe to make the most of a "mini two-week season" comprising their final four League One fixtures, while also declaring his interest in becoming the next Crewe manager: "I'd love to take the job long-term. I've been at this club for a long, long time and I believe I have the credentials."[8] Crewe won their first game under Morris, a 3–1 home victory over AFC Wimbledon on 15 April 2022.[9] Morris was appointed the permanent manager on 28 April 2022.[10][11]

With the Alex winless in nine games, on 4 November 2022, Morris stepped down as Crewe Alexandra manager "for compassionate reasons" and reverted to assistant manager with Bell becoming interim[12][13] and eventually permanent manager.[14] In June 2023, Crewe announced Morris's departure to take up a role at Championship club Stoke City as U21 head coach.[15][16][17]

Managerial statistics

As of match played 1 November 2022
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team From To Record
P W D L Win %
Crewe Alexandra 11 April 2022 4 November 2022 20 5 8 7 025.0
Total 20 5 8 7 025.0

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Interim first team manager: Alex Morris". Crewe Alexandra F.C. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  2. ^ "A fight to the finish!". Crewe Chronicle. 21 April 2004. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  3. ^ Fudge, Simon (27 May 2004). "Alex Sign Morris". Sky News. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  4. ^ "City best Crewe to reach Youth Cup last four". Manchester City FC. 2 March 2015. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  5. ^ Morse, Peter (10 January 2017). "Crewe Alex appoint Kenny Lunt as assistant manager". Crewe Chronicle. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  6. ^ Baggaley, Michael (14 March 2022). "'Vital' - Dave Artell explains Crewe Alexandra reshuffle with new roles for Kenny Lunt, Alex Morris and Lee Bell". Cheshire Live. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  7. ^ "David Artell: Crewe Alexandra part company with boss following relegation to League Two". BBC Sport. 11 April 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  8. ^ "Alex Morris: Crewe players need 'some loving' to end season positively, says interim boss". BBC Sport. 12 April 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  9. ^ "Crewe Alexandra 3-1 AFC Wimbledon". BBC Sport. 15 April 2022. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  10. ^ "Alex Morris Appointed First-Team Manager". Crewe Alex. 28 April 2022. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  11. ^ "Alex Morris: Crewe Alexandra name former assistant as permanent manager". BBC Sport. 28 April 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
  12. ^ "Alex Morris steps down as First-Team Manager". Crewe Alexandra. 4 November 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  13. ^ "Alex Morris: Crewe Alexandra boss steps down to be assistant, Lee Bell becomes interim manager". BBC Sport. 4 November 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  14. ^ "Lee Bell appointed First Team Manager". www.crewealex.net. 1 December 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  15. ^ "Alex Morris: Ex-Crewe boss looks set to join Stoke City backroom team after leaving the Alex". BBC Sport. 21 June 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  16. ^ "Alex Morris leaves Crewe after 28 years". CreweAlex.com. 19 June 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  17. ^ "Potters appoint Alex Morris as Under 21s Head Coach". Stoke City. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
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