Impending Middlesbrough signing Aidan Morris explains motivation behind 'deserved' transfer

Aidan Morris says the desire to take himself out of his comfort zone and test himself is the main motivation behind his impending move to Middlesbrough, after playing what was believed to be his final game for Columbus Crew.

The USA midfielder will join Boro soon, after a fee was agreed with MLS outfit Columbus Crew. Saturday evening's 4-0 win over Sporting Kansas City, in which he provided an assist, was seen as his farewell. The academy product, 22, has made over 100 appearances for the Crew and was serenaded by supporters before getting emotional as he left the field to a rapturous reception around the hour mark.

And speaking after the game about his impending Boro move, Morris told US reporters: “I’m just so blessed. The game just encapsulated everything in my last seven years here. The identity of us and the team we like to be, and how we like to approach games, it’s my identity. My heart is black and gold.

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"It's been a long journey, and this club means so much to me, and Wilfried [Nancy, Columbus head coach] and his staff mean so much to me. I knew it was going to be great but to be able to have an end like this… two MLS Cups is special, and besides all that, I've created amazing relationships here with amazing people.

"I'm always looking to grow and get better and challenge myself. They say when it's time for you to jump, it's when you’ve got to jump. I'm very comfortable here, and I love my life here. Things are amazing, but I’ve got to take a leap, step outside my comfort zone, and challenge myself. I feel like, for me, that'll be a good challenge.”

Frenchman Wilfried Nancy has been heavily credited for developing Morris during his 18 months in charge at Columbus. And the head coach says he's had a long chat with the midfielder about what to expect in Europe, while calling his move a 'deserved' one.

Nancy said: “He wanted to finish well in front of the crowd and in front of the fans because it means a lot for him. He’s strong mentally because he had a good game – he had a lot of pressure and was able to do good.

"He likes to have advice. I also like when I can help people. I come from Europe, so I know exactly what he’s going to face, and he’s really excited by that. We had a discussion to know what he needs to improve and what he does well already. Also, (we talked about) just enjoying it. I put my coach hat to the side, and we had a personal discussion.

"This is a good example of what the club wants to do. We develop young players and help them to get better. After that, we see what do we do with the future with them. But this is exactly the mentality that we want. This is exactly why the ownership group invested in this club. And this is the vision.

"It's gonna be a new chapter for him. He knows that, we had a really good discussion about that. He's really motivated and he deserves it.”