Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand and former Old Trafford stalwart Gary Neville have both added their endorsements to the hugely discussed talent of Ravel Morrison.

During a conversation on Twitter, which also involved the former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan, Neville championed the Manchester United starlet as "a huge talent" in response to Vaughan's question regarding Morrison.

Neville and Ferdinand appeared to agree on the widely held notion that Morrison is one of the most promising players to emerge through Manchester United's ranks in a generation.

Following up his initial comment, Neville added: "He has got potential. Youth cup winners produce players. Hope he can do it."

Morrison's current Manchester United teammate, Ferdinand, suggested the Wythenshawe born youngster has immense ability but would only realise it by showing the necessary discipline and endeavour, which has at times been patently missing during his fledgling career to date.

"Got huge potential. I've told him what I think of him+what he needs to do to fulfil it." Ferdinand wrote on his personal twitter page, @rioferdy5, while discussing Morrison.

"I, Love to see young lads come thru the youth system. Would b a big waste if it all goes t#ts up. Got some good 1s coming through."

The prodigiously gifted 18-year-old midfielder has been strongly linked with a move away from Manchester United following Sir Alex Ferguson's claims the youngster's agent had turned down a new contract at Old Trafford due to his "unrealistic demands".

Ferguson's comments led to a swift denial from Morrison via his twitter page, claiming he had never "turned down a contract off Manchester United".

Morrison has subsequently been the subject of a £1 million bid from Newcastle, and has inevitably been associated with moves to Arsenal, Manchester City and perhaps most tenuously Barcelona.

Rarely has a player with such little first team experience garnered as many column inches as the precocious Manchester United academy graduate. Although some of Morrison's publicity has inevitably been due to his wayward and occasionally alarming antics away from football, the attention that surrounds him is a measure of his undoubted pedigree.

Morrison was a mainstay of the Manchester United youth cup side that won the tournament last season and although he has perhaps not featured as much as he would have liked this season, having been restricted to cameo appearances in the Carling Cup, many seasoned observers fear leaving Old Trafford could curtail one of the most promising talents in English football.

On Monday, Sky Sports pundit and former England international Jamie Redknapp suggested Morrison would be making a grave mistake if he decided to leave Old Trafford this month.

"You might not have heard of Ravel Morrison, aged 18, but when I was at a function for Sportsmail's Jeff Powell with Sir Alex Ferguson, he described the precocious midfielder as 'the best I have seen at that age'." Redknapp told the Daily Mail when discussing the Manchester United starlet.

"Now it seems he wants to leave. Is he getting the right advice? If he wants to leave for money, I urge patience.

The only way is down for him from Manchester United."

Ravel Morrison
REUTERS
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