Tyler Morton: How former Liverpool prospect has rediscovered his love for football
For Morton, leaving his hometown club was a complete crisis. He has been at Liverpool since the age of five and is considered one of the club’s brightest prospects, having risen through the academy after breaking into Jurgen Klopp’s squad in 2021-22.
But after promising loan deals at Blackburn and Hull, opportunities dried up under Arne Slot and Morton found himself at a crossroads.
The decision to move abroad was not just a change of scenery, but also a pivotal moment; A chance to expand your horizons and add new dimensions to your game.
“As soon as Lyon arrived there was nothing else on my mind,” says Morton, who moved to France after helping the England Under-21 team win the Euros. “It’s a huge club and the support here is incredible. Moving away from home was always going to be a big challenge but it was what I wanted and I felt ready. I wanted to show people that I could be a leader and hopefully that’s what I’ve done.”
Morton arrived at Lyon at a time of significant uncertainty. The team, which was France’s dominant force in the 2000s, has fallen on hard times and was even temporarily relegated last summer due to their financial situation, only to be reinstated upon appeal.
Several senior players, including Alexandre Lacazette, Rayan Cherki and Georges Mikautadze, left the team as part of a major reset and were replaced by younger, more affordable names.
Acquired for just 10 million euros (£8.7 million), Morton wasted little time in making his mark. He helped Lyon to victory over Lens on the opening weekend and was named man of the match on his home debut against Metz.
Everything went perfectly that day; Except for the halftime interview that stunned French broadcasters. “They didn’t understand a thing I said,” recalls Wallasey-born Morton, who speaks with a strong Liverpool accent. “The translator just laughed. I’m not used to doing interviews during halftime when the adrenaline is high, so I spoke very quickly.”
It was a cheerful reminder of the adjustments that needed to be made off the field, but Morton quickly adapted to where it mattered most. Previously more of a box-to-box midfielder, he was entrusted by Fonseca with the role of number six, taking responsibility for organizing Lyon’s play in depth.
“The manager gave me the reins to play my football and I love it,” he says. “There is no better position than number six, constantly getting on the ball, finding passes between the lines and using my brain to direct plays. Paulo Fonseca is an incredible manager. He helped me a lot. I discovered things I didn’t even know I had as a footballer.”
