A native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Morris trained at Weston FC before joining the academy of the Columbus Crew in 2017 at the age of 16. He spent a year at Indiana University in 2019, winning the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award before being signed by the Columbus Crew in 2020. He made his debut for the first team the same year, eventually becoming the youngest player in Major League Soccer history to start an MLS Cup. He won two MLS Cups (2020 and 2023) with Columbus before transferring to Middlesbrough in the EFL Championship for a reported $4 million in 2024.
Born in the United States and having Canadian ancestry, Morris was able to represent either the United States or Canada internationally. He was capped several times across multiple youth levels for the United States, before making his senior debut in January 2023.
Morris was announced as a homegrown player signing by the Columbus Crew on January 14, 2020.[6] He made his professional debut in a July 11 match during the MLS is Back Tournament, coming on late in a 4–0 trouncing of in-state rival FC Cincinnati.[7] He made his second appearance for the Crew on July 16, coming off the bench for an injured Darlington Nagbe in the 67th minute of a 2–0 win against New York Red Bulls.[8] He made his first start for the Crew in October 2020.[9] Overall, Morris made eleven appearances for the Crew during the 2020 MLS season.[10] To cap off the season, on December 12, 2020, he became the youngest player in league history to start in MLS Cup, as he helped guide the Crew to a 3–0 win over the Seattle Sounders.[11]
2021–2022: Injury and breakthrough
Morris started the first game of the 2021 season for the Crew, a 4–0 win against Real Estelí in the round of 16 of the CONCACAF Champions League. Morris again started the second leg against Real Esteli, however, he left the game in the fourth minute of what was a 1–0 victory for Columbus with an ACL injury that sidelined him for the entirety of the 2021 MLS season.[12]
Morris made his return to action on the opening game of the 2022 season, coming on as a substitute in the 69th minute of a 4–0 victory for Columbus on February 26.[13] After two months of coming in strictly as a second-half substitute and playing in a few reserve games, Morris started in an April 19 U.S. Open Cup game where he drew a penalty kick in the Crew's 2–1 loss to Detroit City FC.[14] Morris became the starter after an injury to incumbent midfielder Artur.[15] He ended the 2022 season with 21 starts in 28 total appearances.[13][16]
2023: Second championship
During the 2023 preseason, Morris changed his squad number from 21 to 8.[17] During 2023 season, Morris became the full-time starter next to Darlington Nagbe in midfield,[18] and on March 25, he scored his first goal for the club in a 6–1 win over Atlanta United at home. He added his second and third goals for the club in the following match against Real Salt Lake on April 1.[19] On April 12, Morris signed a new contract with the Crew until 2026.[18] He scored his fourth goal of the season in the 3–0 Hell is Real derby victory against FC Cincinnati.[19] After making the playoffs for the first time since winning the 2020 MLS Cup, Morris and the Columbus Crew defeated Los Angeles FC 2-1 in MLS Cup to give Morris his second championship.
2024
During the 2024 season, Morris scored his first goal of the new season on March 16 versus the New York Red Bulls. On April 2, he was sent off for a second yellow in a CONCACAF Champions Cup match versus Tigres UANL.[20] On April 27, he was named captain for the first time for Columbus in the 0–0 draw at home against CF Montréal.[21] The following game, he scored against C.F. Monterrey in the Champions Cup semifinal, a goal which sent his club to the final. He was named Player of the Match for his efforts.[22] On June 22, he played in his final game for Columbus, subbing out of the game in the 60th minute, with the fans chanting his name in unison to bid him farewell.[23]
After an "emotional" final game with Columbus,[24] Morris was announced as a signing by EFL Championship club Middlesbrough on June 28, 2024.[25] The transfer fee was reported by The Athletic to be in the region of $4million.[26] He made his debut for Middlesbrough against Swansea City on August 10, 2024, becoming the 1000th player to make a competitive appearance for the club.[27]
Morris is known for his drive, aggression, and his excellent ball-winning abilities, which have been attributed to his positioning, determination and impressive work rate. He is a player that not afraid to tackle or get involved in any part of the field.[34][35][36][37][38]
Personal life
Born in the United States, Morris is of Canadian descent through his father.[39] He is a fan of Manchester United.[2]
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