Jody Morris: Press Conference

Last updated : 22 July 2003 By Kevin Markey

Morris, who became boss Peter Reid's first capture when he signed a two-year contract, has arrived at Elland Road with a reputation covered in controversy.

The midfielder has had his off-field problems that have been well publicised in the past, but he's urging United fans to look past what is now ancient news and appreciate him for his skill as a player.

The 24-year-old was initially involved in a drinking session at Heathrow Airport with a number of former Chelsea team-mates within hours of the 9/11 tragedy in 2001, angering fellow passengers.Morris was also embroiled in an incident with a bouncer at a nightclub along with John Terry, although was eventually cleared last August on a charge of affray.

He is now determined to wipe the slate clean. "I knew wherever I went in the summer that it would be a new start for me," said Jody at today's press conference.

"Seven years of being in and out of football at Chelsea was a bit frustrating however much I love Chelsea. I knew wherever I went in the summer I would have to make a new start and try and get my career back on track.

"I did not have a bad season last year but it gets down to the stage where you think about moving to further your career and I want to shake off my bad boy image. I want to knuckle down and just play football.

"There's been a few things happen before in my career but hopefully they are behind me now and I just want to get on with playing football.

"The fact that I've been in trouble before it just sticks. The press have written some things about me that I thought was unfair, but at the end of the day there are things that have been my fault and I have to deal with that. The only way I can shake that off is by making headlines for the right reasons and the only way I will do that is by playing regularly.

"I don't want that bad boy tag for the rest of my career, I'm sure I will have it because whenever they talk about me they will. I expect it and am used to it now, but as I've said I want to make headlines for the right reasons rather than just bad stuff.

"I could have stayed at Chelsea, I could have signed a couple of deals from January onwards there but I chose not to for football reasons.

"I had a good season last year for Chelsea, I thought I played quite well but I've had seven years of in for two games and out for five, and that doesn't do anybody any good. It's hard for players to be in and out. A couple of things were my own fault why I wasn't in the team, but I'm at that point now where I need to make a real go of it now.

"I felt I needed to improve as a player and the only way I could do that was to move somewhere I could get in the team week in and week out. I don't expect to be in the team for nothing, I expect to earn my place, but maybe if I earned my place I would at least get a chance to keep it when I deserved it.

"I had an up and down summer, I thought I was going elsewhere and then it fell through, somewhere else and then it came to the end of the summer and everyone had started back training but I didn't know where I was going.

"Cardiff were involved and I just thought that I have to go there and get on with it, and I was half way through a medical there and got a welcome phone call off the gaffer. I didn't have to talk very long, I just wanted to get back up to Leeds.

"I never had it in my head that I wasn't going to step down, at the end of the day beggars can't be choosers, so if I had to go down I had to go down. There were a couple of opportunities to stay in the Premiership at the start of the summer but they fell through.

"It wasn't a problem for me to drop down but a call from Leeds United is a bit different, I couldn't wait to stay in the Premiership and play for Leeds.

"There's not many people get the opportunity to sign for Leeds, so for them to come in for me was a massive bonus."

During the past week though he admits he was growing concerned about his future in the game.

As Peter Reid suggested, Morris definitely has a point to prove to people and it's clear from his thoughts that he's determined to put a few people right.