Clinton Morrison is a big fan of Burnley’s Dwight McNeil with the winger tipped to join the striker’s former club Crystal Palace this summer, speaking to Jim White on talkSPORT (6 May, 12pm).
Manchester United fans everywhere will have suffered a nasty dose of déjà vu when they were linked with a big-money move for an exciting England U21 international recently.
After all, the Old Trafford giants released a teenage McNeil when he was rising through the ranks at Carrington and now, after a superb breakthrough season at Burnley, United are apparently willing to pay big to bring him back.
The Rochdale-born Paul Pogba, anyone?
It’s not just Manchester United who are big fans of an old-school wide man with the ability to put a ball on a sixpence, however. According to The Mail, Crystal Palace have identified the £30 million-rated McNeil as a potential replacement for Wilfred Zaha.
Unfortunately for Morrison, he retired long before he could have had the chance to profit from McNeil’s pinpoint deliveries.
“You get knockbacks, it happened with me (as a youngster) at Tottenham,” said Morrison, who scored over 100 league goals in two spells at Palace.
“Burnley have had loads of good players this season but he’s probably been the outstanding one. He takes them up the field, he’s and old fashioned winger. Me, as a striker, I’d love to play with him.
“He loves to beat his man and get the ball in the box. He likes creating goals and I’d love to play with him.”
Crystal Palace are expected to back manager Roy Hodgson with some much-needed attacking reinforcements this summer. But unless the Eagles sign a reliable striker to replace the toiling Christian Benteke, then McNeil’s ability to create chances at will would go to waste.
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