Sir Alex Ferguson told Jamie Redknapp how talented Ravel Morrison was.

Legendary Sir Alex Ferguson had high expectations for Ravel Morrison.

Legendary Sir Alex Ferguson had high expectations for Ravel Morrison. [Getty]

Ex-Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp says Sir Alex Ferguson once told him Ravel Morrison was the most talented player that emerged from the Manchester United academy. United's record goalscorer Wayne Rooney recently said the same, adding that the Middlesbrough star Morrison was a better player than Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard "by a country mile". Morrison won the FA Youth Cup with Pogba and Lingard in 2011 but was eventually sold to east London club West Ham eight months later. However, Redknapp says the ex-United manager was disappointed the 27-year-old didn't live up to the hype.

More: Man Utd great says Ravel Morrison was better than Pogba and Lingard.

‘My dad had him at QPR and he said he had the most incredible talent, but as you say, it’s the application, it’s desire, how much you want to be a footballer,’ Redknapp said on Sky Sports’ The Football Show. ‘It’s one thing having talent, I remember talking to Sir Alex Ferguson about him and he said he’s the most talented player he’s ever worked with.

‘But that’s one thing, talent doesn’t make up for everything. It’s about wanting to train harder than anyone else, be better than anybody else and not just wanting to turn up every now and again. ‘And the influence of senior players, but I think family, people around you are so important, your agents talking sense to you sometimes. Because sometimes you need an arm around you. ‘There’s been plenty of talented players like that that just haven’t made the grade or made the level they should have.’

More: Man Utd's McTominay turned down loan-move to prove worth to Solskjaer.

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