Ex Liverpool star reveals reason for leaving Anfield, shares equation with Arne Slot

Ex Liverpool star reveals reason for leaving Anfield, shares equation with Arne Slot originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

had busy summer transfer window with plenty of incomings and a few outgoings. While the new signings are still adjusting to life at Anfield, some of the outgoing players have had a great start to life after leaving Merseyside. 

One such player has to be Liverpool academy graduate Tyler Morton who was deprived of enough chances at the club and was eventually sold to Lyon this summer. 

The 22-year-old midfielder instantly made an impact for Lyon and has become a vital cog in the middle in Paul Fonseca's system. 

Morton's switch to Ligue 1 has been hailed as one of the best signings of the summer as the Wallasey-based midfielder has adapted to the life at Lyon in no time as is already rated among the top midfielders in the league. 

While the 2024/25 season was a memorable one of the Liverpool fans and also for manager Arne Slot as he guided the Reds to the Premier League crown in his debut campaign. 

But it was a frustrating season for Morton who only featured in five matches for Liverpool and all of those came in the cup competitions. 

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"I think he thought I was a good player, but I don’t feel the trust was there as much," Morton told SPORTbible when asked whether Slot rated him as a player. "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.

"I had a few conversations with him (Slot) during the season. 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.

"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."

Liverpool's trip to PSV in the Champions League was an opportunity for minutes but Slot decided to start academy graduate James McConnell instead of the 22-year-old, who came on in the second half and played only 39 minutes. 

"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. 

"I understand what happened. I’d agreed to get my [shoulder] operation a couple of weeks after the PSV game, but I played through the pain for that opportunity to play in the Champions League."

Lyon were serious about Liverpool's Morton

Eventually, Morton left his boyhood club this summer after 17 years of association and while he had multiple suitors, his decision of joining Lyon proved to be in his best interest. 

Tyler Morton on leaving Liverpool: "I understood that’s what happens in football. I had to leave to get the best out of myself.

✍️ @jackkenmare_pic.twitter.com/RrXgscvVtQ

— Anything Liverpool (@AnythingLFC_) October 18, 2025

"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 added on Lyon's interest this summer. 

Speaking about Lyon manager Fonseca, the England U21 star added, "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."

Morton continues to be a metronome in midfield for Fonseca's Lyon as the French outfit have been benefitted by his progressive passes, tackles and his ability to win duels in the middle of the park. 

Lyon are currently in fourth spot in the Ligue 1 points table and Morton has had a big role to play in the team's early success this season. 

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