Ryan 'The Grass' Jack reveals how Alfredo Morelos trashed Stevie G

Ryan Jack has discussed how Alfredo Morelos trashed Steven Gerrard on the eve of a cup final against Celtic.

The goals from the Colombian were the biggest factor in keeping Gerrard’s side in contention with Celtic for honours but it seems that Morelos had licence to do exactly as he pleased.

A ballooning waistline and some strange tales off the park followed the striker during his time at Ibrox but being able to find the net on a semi regular basis ensured that Morelos was never far from the teamsheet.

Going into the League Cup Final on 8 December 2019 the striker had already scored 25 goals across three competitions which made him the man most likely to provide Charles Green’s Tribute Act with their first ever trophy.

Jack had never won a trophy in his career, after watching Celtic lift the treble in his debut season a win at Hampden over Neil Lennon would have given Gerrard his breakthrough trophy as a manager but it seems like his star striker had other priorities.

🎥⚽️| KEEPING THE BALL ON THE GROUND
Ryan Jack joins us for a belter of a show as he shares the story of when ex @RangersFC teammate Morelos was late for training the day before a Cup Final v Celtic 🤯
YouTube 📺 https://t.co/co8NXDcoLT
Podcast 🎧 https://t.co/ciz6LPLO1s pic.twitter.com/1f8mOpBIFS
— Open Goal (@opengoalsport) August 12, 2024

We were unreal in the game but Buff (Morelos) missed about eight sitters, he could have scored five- missed a pen.

The day before the cup final we’re not going to stay in a hotel, Gerrard was like that ‘just keep it simple, the way it is’.

We’re training at 11 and it gets to half 10 and it is ‘Anybody seen Buff (Morelos, the Buffalo)?’ and ‘nah, he’s not in’.

Then it gets to 11 and the gaffer is like ‘We’ll need to go to training’ this is the day before a cup final, he’s still not in, like phoning him and he’s still not answering his phone, the phones off.

So eventually, half 11 or whatever and the gaffer is like ‘we just need to get out, we need to train’

I’ll never forget that, I had my daughter’s birthday party that day. I’m like I will nip that that before I go home.

So we’re on the pitch at half 11 and no joke he comes out, we’d been out for half an hour, he comes out with not a care in the world. Boots untied, socks tucked into the training joggies, just struts onto the pitch and just like tries to join in.

The gaffer is ragin, like ‘I’m not f***ng talking to him’. He needs to warm up and he’s away like strutting round the pitch the day before a cup final, not arsed. The next day he comes in, misses five sitters, missed a pen.

He’d just come in and blame the defence! He could miss five sitters then come in after and say ‘F***ing defence!!!!’ Big Connor (Goldson) would be like ‘What! you’ve just missed five f***ing sitters’. He’d be like ‘F** off, f***ing defence again, you can’t keep the ball’.

At the final whistle Jack had to be consoled by James Tavernier. Celtic scored through Chris Jullien on the hour mark, three minutes later Jack’s side were awarded a penalty with Jeremie Frimpong sent off.

Knowing full well the behaviour and attitude of Morelos at training the previous day captain Tavernier bottled out of taking the penalty, handing the ball to Morelos whose effort was saved by Fraser Forster to help Celtic win the trophy.

Morelos was sent off at Fir Park and Celtic Park later that month, scoring just one goal from January until the season was ended in mid-March.

Gerrard dropped Morelos from the side that lost to Hearts in the Scottish Cup at Tynecastle after he returned late from a trip to Colombia.

Despite making it into the Scotland squad for the European Championships Jack is currently without a club, any dressing room that he joins knows that their secrets will be getting revealed to Open Goal as soon as he leaves their club.

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