Boro's Morris has tunnel vision in promotion race
Aidan Morris has won 13 caps for the USA
- Published
Middlesbrough midfielder Aidan Morris says "I don't even know who we are playing on Wednesday" as a demonstration of his and his team's tunnel vision in the quest for promotion.
The answer is Charlton Athletic at the Riverside as Boro enter the final 10 games of the Championship season.
The goals and the headlines went elsewhere but Morris produced an excellent display in the 4-0 win at QPR which enabled the Teessiders to open up a four-point gap over third place Millwall, and the 24-year-old is trying not to look too far ahead.
"It's tough when you go into the training ground and there's a game up and a table up," he told BBC Radio Tees.
"This is the exciting time and people want to be entertained by the table, but it's about just focusing on ourselves.
"At the end of the day I don't even know who we're playing on Wednesday, it was just about today. It was all about QPR and then your mind focuses on the next.
"If you get too caught up in all the other stuff, it can distract you from the present."
Aidan Morris finished the game against QPR with 115 touches and also had a 96% passing accuracy
The noise will only get louder over the last 10 games as Boro near a possible Premier League return for the first time since 2017.
It will be hard for everyone connected with the club not to think about the what ifs of a potential promotion, but that is where Morris will try to zone out.
However, working under Kim Hellberg has allowed the USA international to express himself.
"The beauty of a career is you get so many different coaches and so many leaders," said Morris.
"You can pick something from each one and add it to your game and Kim has allowed me to do that, to pick up things and think about it in a different way.
"When I play for Kim, he allows me to go and put a smile on my face and that's the most important thing."
'Aidan is key for us'
Captain Hayden Hackney has been Middlesbrough's standout player this season, and arguably the best in the Championship, but he has received great support from midfield partner Morris.
Together they been the best midfield team in the division, allowing Boro to dominate possession against most sides.
That has been music to the ears of head coach Kim Hellberg, who is loving the job that Morris performs.
"The way he plays, the way he presses, Aidan is a key player for us," said Hellberg. "He's always wanting the ball, always being brave on the ball. That is what we want."
