Town have not offered a contract to Needham Market defender Keiran Morphew, who has been on trial for the last few days and played in last night’s 1-1 U21s draw with Nottingham Forest.

Morphew, 22, impressed Blues boss Mick McCarthy with his performance in the 1-0 U21s victory over QPR at Playford Road in February and was asked back for a spell training with the Town first-team.

Needham Market manager Mark Morsley told TWTD: "They said that if he was two years younger he'd have got a deal. As he's 22 it would have had to have been a full pro deal.

"Obviously I'm pleased and disappointed in the same breath. I've kept a hell of a player and great kid, so that's good for us."

Having picked up an injury while playing for Needham, Morphew’s trial was delayed until last week when he returned to Playford Road to train with the squad and play in last night's U21s game.

Photo: Bury Free Press.

Photo: Action Images

flyingdutchman added 11:53 - Mar 22 needham required a fee
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Shrimpynator added 11:54 - Mar 22 Really? He looked very good last night for the U21s, better defender than Digby for sure, just not 6'5", so MM doesn't want him.
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groovyASH added 12:05 - Mar 22 Shame, good luck to the guy. Am sure he is capable of playing within the top 4 divisions if he was worth a second look from a well established championship club.
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hoppy added 12:07 - Mar 22 Really Shrimpynator? I thought he did well last night, but thought Digby looked more composed on the ball and the better of the two. It would be a big jump for either of them to challenge for the first team, so I guess with Malarczyk as well, to give him a full pro contract would swell the numbers of those not quite ready to step into the first team, so makes sense to not offer him a deal. Things could always change if that situation changes I guess, as you never close a door completely. Just not really the right time right now for him perhaps.

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12th_Man added 12:07 - Mar 22 Didn't hoof it enough
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hampstead_blue added 12:12 - Mar 22 Why can we not give him a one year deal ? We gave them to others who didn't work out. Is a 'pro' deal such a step from what he could have got? I'm not well versed in the contractual side of things.
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grumpyoldman added 12:29 - Mar 22 Why has his age come too late after the trial, surely somebody checked his birth certificate before the trial, isn't it nice to support a well run club
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grumpyoldman added 12:30 - Mar 22 Should have read come to light after trial, dyslexic fingers
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JustSpivvyChops added 12:31 - Mar 22 The club must have known how old he was when they invited him for a trial FFS, so the club are either making up sh1te excuses, or they're utterly incompetent and have wasted everybody's time..............you decide
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cats_whiskers added 12:41 - Mar 22 It looks like we will be rooting in the Footballers Blue Cross Sales and leftover bargains bins once again come June and July, to fill up and fine tune the next season's squad in the infamous McCarthy tradition!
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PhilTWTD added 12:45 - Mar 22 Of course they were aware of his age when he came in. I assume they felt he's not shown enough to be considered for the first-team squad and was a little too old to be taken on as a development player - he'd be an overage player in the U21s - and presumably the fact that Clarke, Yorwerth and Digby are all a couple of years younger playing the same position came into it. I actually think he might have been worth taking a chance on from what I saw of him last night and from what one or two more informed observers have said. I hope he finds another professional club, Colchester might be a good place to start.

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Popeye added 12:47 - Mar 22 Bit of a strange decision tbh, surely when he came for the trial originally someone at club asked him his age especiaaly if this was going to be a big factor on whether he would get a contract or not at the end!!
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JustSpivvyChops added 13:02 - Mar 22 Phil.....you've merely emphasised the point......when they saw him, liked him and subsequently took him for a trial, they should have been well aware of his age. That being the case, he was always going to be too old to come in as a development player and could therefore only been considered for the first team squad......in which case, to say he would have got a contract if he was 2 years younger makes absolutely no sense at all, to anybody.

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big_gaz67 added 13:02 - Mar 22 "They said that if he was two years younger he'd have got a deal. As he's 22 it would have had to have been a full pro deal." How insulting and typical to the way the club is being run at present. In the last few years we've had local suppliers not being paid on time, tax bills not being paid on time and now telling players we'd love to sign you but we're not prepared to pay the going rate for it. Question - how old was Simon Milton when he signed for town?

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PhilTWTD added 13:11 - Mar 22 JustSpivvyChops Have to say it makes sense to me, and he's not the first trialist to have been in a similar position - too old for the development squad, not considered good enough for the first-team squad.
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big_gaz67 added 13:18 - Mar 22 Phil - has TWTD asked MMc the question about whether his contract includes a bonus for selling players, such as Tyrone Mings, on at a profit? Sorry to keep asking this on various strands but I don't have the access to press conferences and the club that I believe TWTD has and I think it is vital that we if this is true.....
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PhilTWTD added 13:30 - Mar 22 big_gaz67 Would surprise me if there was anything like that and I doubt Mick would answer a question along those lines anyway, he views contract stuff as private. Seems unlikely, particularly given that it's Marcus Evans who does all the financial negotiations regarding transfer deals.
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big_gaz67 added 13:35 - Mar 22 I would be more surprised if there was not a clause of that nature - certainly is is one the managers like Harry Redknapp always had. I think MMc is nest lining and has no real ambition to get the club promoted (as despite the bonus for promotion in all likely hood he would be out of a job within a season). I'm not suggesting that we should know specifics of his contract but as season ticket holders I think we are major stakeholders and have the right to know....

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JustSpivvyChops added 13:46 - Mar 22 Phil...........I'm not disputing the logic, makes perfect sense......the bit that's weird is the "if he was 2 years younger" thrown onto the end..........ie "not gonna give him a pro deal, but would have paid him a bag of peanuts a week and seen if he progressed in the dev squad"......but it was (should have been) always known that he was too old for the dev squad, so that doesn't make any sense......had the age comment not been made everything would be fairly routine, but it has served to cloud the process IMO.

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PhilTWTD added 13:55 - Mar 22 big_gaz67 I think it's fairly well known that Mick is a on fairly hefty bonus if he wins promotion, I don't think bonuses of the type you mention are common, certainly not at this level where until last summer fees were becoming a rarity. I honestly couldn't imagine MM just freewheeling in that manner. He always gives the impression when he's with the media of being desperate to get back in the big-time.

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iaintaylorx added 14:00 - Mar 22 Mick isn't interested because he takes a risk and plays in on the ground instead of lumping it aimlessly in the air! Poor management. Good youngster not credited with a deal because he plays football how it should be!
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PhilTWTD added 14:01 - Mar 22 JustSpivvyChops Just think it meant that he did enough that had he been younger they'd have offered him something in the development squad. They always knew how old he was - Steve Foley coaches at Town and at Needham and he was the one who brought him in - and was always looked at as a first-team trial. Given his age, I think he'd have to have done exceptionally well to win a deal, but he evidently impressed MM in his first game if not subsequently to the required standard.

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del added 16:50 - Mar 22 I was at the game last night and towards the end I turned to the gentleman sat next to me and said, 'he's far too good for us - he won't be signed' I am heartened by other commentators who thought he was a usefull player - his passes to McGoldrick were a pleasure to watch - certainly didn't fit in with our style. Like others I wish him well with a pro contract where he will be appreciated. Will probably go and watch Needham Market FC now.

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sydneytown added 17:28 - Mar 22 Just a thought but how old were ricky lambert and jamie vardy before they were signed from non league football
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jas0999 added 17:45 - Mar 22 Understandable in my opinion. If he is not good enough to get into the first team squad, then there seems very little point. We have plenty of other developmental players.
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