Tyler Morton interview: Why I left Liverpool, a golf course chat with Xabi Alonso and life in Lyon
“No one understands me," says Tyler Morton, his distinctive Scouse accent still very much intact. "I’ve done two half-time interviews so far and I swear to god, the translator tried to translate and just started laughing. He didn’t have a clue what I was saying!"
From his new home in Lyon, a city known for its cobbled streets, rich culinary heritage, and Juninho Pernambucano, the Wirral-born midfielder is in great spirits. "I've just started my French lessons," he laughs. "Bonjour is about as good as it gets at the moment!"
Morton has spent much of our chat with a smile on his face. Life is good.
After struggling for minutes under Arne Slot last season – a subject he feels strongly about – the 22-year-old swapped Liverpool for Paulo Fonseca's Lyon in a move that has since been hailed as one of the deals of the summer.
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No player in Europe's top five leagues made more penalty area entries or more accurate crosses after the opening three games, and he currently ranks among the best midfielders in Ligue 1 this season when it comes to passes attempted and progressive carries per 90.
The language barrier can be a struggle at times, but Morton is letting his feet do the talking. "Tyler is a player made for our game," said Fonseca this month. "He is fantastic. He still needs to progress, but I am not surprised by what he is achieving."
Morton's form has come as no surprise to onlookers who always believed in his talent. Xabi Alonso even interrupted a game of golf to confirm Bayer Leverkusen's interest last summer, a phone call he will never forget.
But questions remain over what happened at boyhood club Liverpool, especially towards the end of his 17-year stay. It’s something he is ready to address. “The emotion definitely came when I got to Lyon," he tells SPORTbible.
"I understood that’s what happens in football. I had to leave to get the best out of myself.”
From his seat in the lower Anfield Road stand, a young Tyler Morton would track Xabi Alonso's every move in a bid to improve his own game.
In fact, after taking mental notes throughout, Morton would rush home to his local park in Wallasey, pinging Alonso-esque passes to his dad until it turned dark. "I loved Xabi Alonso so I tried to copy him," Morton said last year. "He was different from everyone else."
It was essentially his homework for the weekend. And he couldn't have asked for a better teacher.
The Spaniard was a big inspiration to many growing up, including Morton – so when he received a phone call from the man himself last summer to confirm Bayer Leverkusen's interest, it was a real 'look how far I've come' moment.
"It’s a funny story," says Morton with a massive grin on his face.
“I was on a golf course with my mates at the time. I got a text from my agent, who said: 'Xabi Alonso’s going to call you soon'. I’d heard about the move but didn’t speak about it too much because I’d been told I wasn’t leaving Liverpool."
"I’d just hit a nice drive and was on for my first par of the day," Morton laughs. "I had to bin it off, but it was definitely worth it!”
Fresh from his Leverkusen side lifting a historic Bundesliga title, Alonso expressed his admiration for the Liverpool academy graduate, who had spent the past two seasons on loan in the Championship at Blackburn and Hull respectively.
"He (Alonso) told me how highly he rates me as a player," says Morton, who describes their brief conversation as the type of moment you dream of. "They wanted to sign me."
Reports at the time suggested Liverpool were considering a season-long loan offer from Leverkusen, while numerous European clubs, including Atalanta and RB Leipzig, were also said to be keen.
It was a reflection of how well he'd performed away from Anfield, but in the end, a transfer failed to materialise.
"They (Leverkusen) came in quite late that summer, but I spoke to the manager (Slot) about it and Liverpool wanted me to stay," says Morton. "I spoke to my agent, and we were pushing a move, but it was difficult.
"Liverpool told me I couldn’t leave at the time, which was fair enough, but if you want to go and play, then you’ve got to push it. I asked the manager. He was open with me and said he was going to keep me around. Nothing was going to change his mind."
"He needed me around the team as back-up," Morton added. "Some players have to take that role, and that’s the role he decided for me. I’ll be honest, it wasn’t ideal. I wanted to be starting games. If that was at Liverpool – the club I love – then incredible. But it wasn’t going to be."
Arne Slot's debut season in charge was a memorable one, to say the least. He became the first Liverpool manager to win nine of his first 10 games in charge of the club before they rallied to a record-equalling 20th league title.
But it was a frustrating one for Morton. He featured just five times across all competitions in 2024-25, with all of those appearances coming in the cup.
Does he think Slot rated him? "I think he thought I was a good player, but I don’t feel the trust was there as much,” he says. "In my opinion, the limited opportunities were down to trust and not ability.
"When I got my opportunity in the cup, I felt like I played well. That’s all I could say. I stuck at it, stayed focused, got through to the end of the season and played in the under-21 Euros, which was amazing."
To his credit, Morton stayed professional throughout. “I had a few conversations with him (Slot) during the season," he recalls. "A lot of footballers can be bitter about not playing and let their egos get in the way, but I’m not that type of lad.
"I personally disagreed with the limited amount of game time I got last season, but that was out of my control. I did everything I could. I played for the under-21s when a lot of players wouldn’t. I did everything in my power to stay fit and mentally focused for when my time came, and I still got limited opportunities."
After featuring in League Cup games against West Ham and Brighton, a match where he created the most chances and won the most tackles while on the pitch (not to mention his assist for Cody Gakpo's opener), Morton suffered a shoulder injury in a 2-1 win over Southampton in mid-December.
It threatened to derail his season, but he played through the pain barrier with the hope that his chance would eventually come.
A few weeks later and many backed Slot to give the midfielder more first-team minutes after an impressive display in the FA Cup. Liverpool were also flying in the Champions League at the time, and a final group stage game against PSV was on the horizon as they sat top of the pile.
He was desperate to make an impact.
“I just wanted to play. I don’t think I was asking for too much; even if it was coming off the bench in the Premier League… anything, to be honest," he tells us.
"I think the PSV game – when I had to keep my head fully – was difficult. It was a dead rubber match; they’d already gone through in the Champions League, and I didn’t start. That’s when pure frustration kicked in."
Instead of starting Morton in their final league phase game, Slot handed academy graduate James McConnell his European debut. Morton was eventually brought on in the second half, but it was a blow.
"I understand what happened," he explains. "I’d agreed to get my operation a couple of weeks after the PSV game, but I played through the pain for that opportunity to play in the Champions League."
Touching on his shoulder operation, which eventually ruled him out for the rest of the 2024-25 campaign, Morton added: "I could have left it until the end of the season, but I knew the under-21 Euros were coming up, so I took it earlier and aimed to be fit for the end of the season.
“The manager and I had an open and honest conversation. He wasn’t going to play me against PSV because I was going to get the operation. What was best for him was to play someone who was going to take my position. That’s what he did, and fair enough. I took it on the chin."
Morton recovered in time for the under-21 Euros, a tournament England went on to win, and while continuing to push for a transfer, he joined up with his Liverpool teammates on the club's pre-season tour of Asia.
It was here when Lyon made contact.
“I was in Japan at the time," he recalls. "After what happened the previous season, where I didn't play much, the club respected that’s what was going to happen. Liverpool were great with me. I don’t know whether it was them being like, 'Thank you for what you’ve done, go and enjoy your football.” Maybe it was a bit of humility.
“I was speaking to a few teams. It was an exciting time. My agent called me and said, ‘Lyon want to buy you’. Sometimes it can be slow with clubs; they might say, ‘Maybe if this lad leaves, we’ll get you in.’ That’s the reality of transfers. But Lyon were really serious.”
Morton recalls having a two or three-minute conversation with Fonseca. “I asked the obvious questions. He really wanted me and said I’d be playing straight away. As soon as I touched down from Japan, I was on the phone every minute to my agent, trying to push the move because it was an amazing one for me."
On the afternoon of August 5, Morton ended his 17-year association with Liverpool as he was officially announced as a Lyon player. His final day at the AXA Training Centre was filled with mixed emotions.
“I didn’t have much time because I was on a flight to France shortly after," Morton says.
"I had been at the club for so long. A lot of academy staff have gone on their own journeys, which was frustrating because I wanted to say thank you in person, but I sent everyone a nice text to show my appreciation for what they’ve done for me and how far I’ve come because of them."
“It was a great feeling," he continued. "I hadn't let my head go during the season and didn't kick up a fuss. I kept my head completely, and got to say goodbye to the coaching staff and players in a nice manner.
"The players were amazing with me last season. It wasn’t easy. They had to take the mick out of me to keep me in check. When your head’s gone, it’s hard to come in every day and train properly. I’m sure you can guess who: Robbo, Harvey, Kelleher; they all kept me in check. It was nice to leave on a good note.”
Was he emotional on that final day? “It was difficult," he admits. "Mentally, I was kind of checked out in the end. I knew it was going to happen. My emotions didn’t come too much on the day; it was more like ‘I need to get this move done, get myself out and go play some football.’
"The emotions came after, when I realised I wouldn’t be playing with the lads I’ve played with all my life – like Jarell, Harvey and Conor, somebody I’ve known since 11–12."
To show their appreciation, Liverpool sent a replica Premier League trophy to Morton's house in Lyon this month, which has his name and number engraved on the front. He was keen to show us the weighty gift that sits front and centre in his new home.
"It's a really classy touch from the club," he says. "It was a tough season football-wise, but an amazing one off the pitch with incredible people who got me through it."
Morton's start to life at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais has been impressive, to say the least. From picking up the Player of the Match award on his home debut, to scoring the winner against Lille as his much-talked-about 'modern mullet and tucked-in shirt' look went viral.
In his own words, he has still got a lot to learn.
The league is very physical, and those in the Lyon dressing room have already warned that there’s “never” a game where a team will dominate from minute one. Going head-to-head with Florian Thauvin was also an eye-opener. “His technique, movement, timing — everything was a little bit different,” he said about the France international. “A top-tier player.”
Even though he is too humble to admit it, Morton has adapted incredibly well given how little football he played last season. The 22-year-old is flourishing, and he gave a typically grounded insight into why.
“Hunger," says Morton, after being asked what he puts his recent form down to. "I’ve always believed in myself and had a lot of confidence in my ability and what I can do on the pitch, but I think it’s down to understanding what it’s like not to be playing.
"Having a season like the one in 2024-25 can be bad for your mindset, but I took it positively. I thought, if that’s what it’s like not to play, then I want to be getting regular minutes every week. I put it down to that, and Lyon suits me down to a tee. We’re a real footballing side and play great football. It’s an amazing club to be at."
Morton takes a deep breath and smiles again. "I’m really proud of myself for getting through last season and getting myself to this position.”
Topics: Arne Slot, Ligue 1, Liverpool, Lyon, Premier League, Xabi Alonso, Spotlight
Jack Kenmare