Reggae Boy Ravel Morrison finds himself at the center of attention as Sheffield Wednesday, Bolton Wanderers, and Peterborough United have expressed interest in securing the services of the 31-year-old midfielder.

A free agent since parting ways with Major League Soccer side DC United at the beginning of this year, Morrison is eager to return to regular football action, sparking the interest of clubs across the English Championship.

Sheffield Wednesday, currently grappling with the challenges of a survival fight in the Championship, sees Morrison as a potential boost to their attacking options. The free agent status of the Jamaican international has also piqued the interest of League One promotion hopefuls Bolton and Peterborough, both aiming to strengthen their squads for the crucial final weeks of the season.

Having made his debut for Jamaica in November 2020, Morrison showcased his prowess by scoring his first international goal in a crucial World Cup qualification match against Honduras in March 2022. However, despite his impressive international outings, the 31-year-old has been sidelined from the Reggae Boyz squad since March 2023 due to a lack of club football activity.

Should Morrison secure a contract with any of the three English Championship clubs currently courting him, it could potentially reignite his chances of returning to the national team. The window of opportunity, however, seems tight, with Jamaica's Reggae Boyz gearing up to face the United States in the CONCACAF Nations Cup semi-finals in late March.

The possibility of a move to Sheffield Wednesday adds an intriguing layer to the narrative, considering Morrison's past stint with their cross-city rivals Sheffield United during the 2019-20 season.

With a football journey that has taken him through clubs in six different countries, Morrison stands at a crossroads, contemplating a return to the league where it all began for the talented midfielder, or the prospect of venturing into League One for the first time in his career.

 

With the transfer window now open, Peterborough United’s Director of Football Barry Fry, has warned prospective buyers that the club will not release Reggae Boy striker Jonson Clarke-Harris cheaply.

Clarke-Harris has been in a good vein of form, which has attracted significant interest and is expected to leave the East England club during the transfer window.

The 29-year-old striker, who claimed the Golden Boot after scoring 26 goals in the previous season, has already netted 10 goals in 24 appearances in all competitions this season.

That, coupled with Clarke-Harris’s positive influence on the club makes him a valuable asset and, as such, Fry is adamant that interested parties will have to dig deep to secure his services.

“He won’t be leaving for peanuts. His scoring record is outstanding, and he’s a great bloke to have around the club, even when he isn’t playing. He’s been unbelievable with the younger players,” Fry stated.

Despite being placed on the transfer list at the end of the last season when Peterborough failed to secure promotion to the Championship, Clarke-Harris’s move to Bristol Rovers for £800,000, fell through late on deadline day in September. However, the striker quickly regained his scoring form for Peterborough, including a notable brace against Mansfield.

While anticipating a potential transfer in January, Clarke-Harris had limited starts in recent months, but made a triumphant return to the starting lineup, with a two-goal performance against Barnsley.

Fry emphasized that Clarke-Harris’s value goes beyond his ability to score goals, as he pointed to the striker’s contributions in crucial moments and his support for younger players.

Though Bristol Rovers have reportedly reduced their interest following the departure of manager Joey Barton, reports suggest that Fleetwood Town could pursue Clarke-Harris’s signature during this transfer window.

Peterborough’s League One promotion hopes were dealt a blow as their nine-match unbeaten run came to an end after Callum McManaman’s late winner gave Wigan a 2-1 victory at the DW Stadium.

Wigan had led from the sixth minute when on-loan Fulham winger Martial Godo reacted quickest to Jordan Jones’ cross from the left and prodded home.

After Callum Lang fired just wide, Jones then saw a 20-yard strike crash against the crossbar.

Peterborough were struggling to get anything going, with Harrison Burrows forcing a fine save from Sam Tickle.

The visitors stepped it up after the break, and levelled nine minutes after the restart when David Ajiboye’s cross was drilled home by Kwame Poku.

Ajiboye came close to putting Posh ahead when he sent a left-footed strike whistling inches past the target.

Wigan made them pay when McManaman drilled home from the edge of the box with eight minutes remaining after Posh failed to clear a free-kick.

There was still time for Posh to threaten a leveller, only for Joel Randall to see a shot hacked off the line by Tom Pearce.

Salford were denied an FA Cup upset in the 93rd minute as Emmanuel Fernandez’s header rescued a 2-2 draw for Sky Bet League One Peterborough United.

The centre-back was brought on as a late substitute and played up front as Posh chased a game they trailed thanks to two howlers from Nicholas Bilokapic.

The League Two side took the lead after just four minutes when the keeper passed the ball straight to Stephen Mallan from the edge of his box, who fired into an empty net.

They held the lead throughout the first half but Ricky-Jade Jones levelled for Posh just 25 seconds into the second half.

Joel Randall cut back a pass to Jones and it was a simple finish for the forward.

Posh then took control of the game but their efforts came grinding to a halt when, after 69 minutes, Bilokapic inexplicably let Zak Sturge’s backpass roll under his foot and trickle into the net.

Fernandez forced a replay in the dying seconds by heading in Ephron Mason-Clark’s cross from inside the six-yard box.

Peterborough manager Darren Ferguson hailed the quality of his side’s penalties but felt the performance could have been better as they saw off Swindon to reach the Carabao Cup second round.

Joel Randall’s first Peterborough goal since his move from Exeter in the summer of 2021 was cancelled out by Rushian Hepburn-Murphy as the game ended 1-1 after 90 minutes.

Frazer Blake-Tracy and Jake Young missed in the penalty shoot-out for Swindon while Jonson Clarke-Harris, Ronnie Edwards, Joseph Tomlinson and Harrison Burrows all scored to send Peterborough through.

Ferguson said: “I’m delighted to be through. It’s a cup tie and your main focus is to get through to the next round and we’ve done that.

“Very, very good penalties to get us there, four really good pens, Nick (Bilokapic)’s obviously saved one so yeah, pleased to get through.

“I’ll have to look back at the performance and pick the bones out of it, but it’s easier to do that when you get through.

“We just weren’t there tonight in terms of the basics of the game, certainly the tackling and second balls and things like that we weren’t good enough tonight.”

Swindon manager Michael Flynn said: “I’ll take a whole lot from that. I thought we were the better team over the duration of the game.

“We had 23 shots away from home against a very good League One team who only made a couple of changes from Saturday and I was very, very proud of them.

“We did everything well apart from the first goal. I thought we went one-for-one, picked up second balls, we pressed them with the right parts, they had to change formation later on, we created good chances and I just wish we’d took a few more of the situations we created.

“But on the whole I couldn’t be happier really.”

Phil Foden was inspired by Lionel Messi in his assist for Jack Grealish at Peterborough United, according to the Manchester City goalscorer.

Foden assisted both goals in City's 2-0 FA Cup win on Tuesday as they reached the quarter-finals of the competition for the fifth time in six seasons under Pep Guardiola.

A pass under pressure to Riyad Mahrez led to the breakthrough on the hour mark, but Foden's ball for Grealish really caught the eye.

His pinpoint delivery was controlled expertly by Grealish, who finished calmly before revealing time spent watching clips of Paris Saint-Germain superstar Messi had helped the pair.

"[The pass was] unbelievable," Grealish told ITV.

"It's funny – before the game, on the coach on the way here, I sit next to Phil, and I was scrolling through Twitter and a video of Messi came up, and it was Messi's passing. Me and Phil were just watching it.

"As soon as he passed that ball, obviously I scored and he came running over to me and said, 'It was just like what we were watching before the game'. Just like Messi, wasn't it?

"Obviously I have that kind of link-up with Phil. It's been a long time coming, because I don't think he's assisted me yet, but it was a good moment for myself."

The goal was Grealish's first in the FA Cup and only his fourth in a City shirt, although Guardiola had spoken before the match of disregarding "the statistics" when it came to his £100million man.

That theme has clearly been consistent in conversations between player and coach, although Grealish finished with a game-high five chances created.

"I expect more," he said. "I want to get a lot more, but I've been speaking with the manager a lot recently and he's been helping me.

"I want to get goals and assists, but he has said to me it's not all about goals and assists. I've played in a lot of big games this season that the manager's trusted me in that I haven't scored or assisted in, but I feel like I've done alright.

"For me personally, obviously I do want to get more goals and assists, but hopefully that will come now for the big part of the season."

Manchester City made hard work of a 2-0 win at Peterborough United to advance to the FA Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday.

Premier League leaders City named a strong side – captained by Oleksandr Zinchenko in a show of solidarity with Ukraine – but toiled against the Championship strugglers.

The Posh had the game's clearest opportunities up until the hour mark when Phil Foden took control of proceedings, teeing up both Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish to take the tie away from the home team.

It was reward for City's perseverance, having piled on the pressure from the outset on a patchy Peterborough pitch.

The best chance of the first half came at the other end when Jeando Fuchs got in behind Nathan Ake and saw a low, deflected effort touched around the post by Ederson.

And Sammie Szmodics really should have fired Peterborough in front early in the second period but scuffed horribly wide when the ball fell his way from a long throw.

City were far more clinical when they finally crafted an opening, as Mahrez spotted a gap between the legs of defender Hayden Coulson and squeezed his shot into the bottom-left corner.

Mahrez might have added a swift second when Josh Knight blocked bravely, yet it was only a temporary reprieve for the Posh, who had no answer for Foden.

The England midfielder's sharp pass under pressure found Mahrez for the opener, but he had time and space to lift his head and seek out Grealish for the second – sublime control followed by a cool finish.

Still Peterborough did not give in, and Ederson had to save well from Jack Marriott, although City were comfortable at 2-0 and could have had more – Foden and Grealish each denied before Aymeric Laporte missed an open goal – as they advanced to the last eight for the fifth time under Pep Guardiola.

Oleksandr Zinchenko was to captain Manchester City at Peterborough United on Tuesday in his first appearance since Russia invaded Ukraine.

Ukraine international Zinchenko was on the bench at Everton on Saturday and pictured in tears as both teams showed their support for his nation at Goodison Park.

And further gestures were set to follow before the FA Cup fifth-round tie against Peterborough.

Zinchenko was to be at the forefront of those after he was named as City's skipper on the teamsheet, despite the club initially suggesting regular captain Fernandinho would lead the side.

Fernandinho, who spent eight years in Ukraine with Shakhtar Donetsk before joining City, offered the armband to Zinchenko in a sign of solidarity.

"Our captain decided to give the armband to him to show how important the situation is," Pep Guardiola told ITV Sport. 

"We are all the club behind this gesture, behind our captain, who represents his country."

Zinchenko and Fernandinho were among six changes to the City side, with Jack Grealish also brought in after a spell out through injury.

Guardiola had confirmed on Monday that Zinchenko would be involved, saying: "I think it would be good for him to play and show the reason why he is here – he is a magnificent player – to play football."

Middlesbrough's reward for knocking Manchester United out of the FA Cup is a home tie with Tottenham in the fifth round.

Chris Wilder's Boro eliminated the Red Devils on Friday on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford and will now face Antonio Conte's Spurs, who beat Brighton 3-1 on Saturday.

Only one guaranteed all-Premier League tie was drawn for the fifth round with Southampton hosting West Ham after David Moyes' side survived a scare at National League North outfit Kidderminster Harriers.

Among the Premier League elite, Chelsea will travel to Luton Town,  Manchester City are away to Peterborough United, and Liverpool will welcome Norwich City to Anfield should they get past Cardiff City on Sunday.

Cup holders Leicester will be at home to Huddersfield Town if they beat Nottingham Forest, while Stoke City travel to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace.

Frank Lampard's Everton will play either Bournemouth or Boreham Wood at Goodison Park, where the former Chelsea boss got off to a tremendous start with a 4-1 win over Brentford on Saturday.

FA Cup fifth-round draw in full:

Luton Town v Chelsea, Crystal Palace v Stoke City, Peterborough United v Manchester City, Liverpool or Cardiff City v Norwich City, Southampton v West Ham, Middlesbrough v Tottenham, Nottingham Forest or Leicester City v Huddersfield Town, Everton v Bournemouth or Boreham Wood.

Ties will be played week commencing February 28.

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