Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Belfast Live
Belfast Live
Sport
Gareth Fullerton

Elliott Morris on 'The Gaffer' who moulded his Irish League career

He is 'The Gaffer' who Elliott Morris rates as the best manager he ever worked under at Glentoran.

And he played for a few.

Legendary goalkeeper Morris - who announced his retirement last week - played under a total of 10 managers during his time as a player at the Oval.

Read more: Glentoran issue brief statement on Irish Cup appeal ruling

But there's one man who stands out from the pack, and it is the boss who brought him to Mersey Street way back in 2002.

Roy Coyle signed Morris after he returned home from West Bromwich Albion, igniting an Irish League career that would span two decades.

Morris says it was Coyle's straight-talking approach that appealed to him when he returned from England.

The retiring shot-stopper told Belfast Live's That's What I Call Football podcast: "I came home and after two weeks Roy Coyle called me and asked if I wanted to sign. And the rest is history.

"He was brutally honest. The conversation was just how I like it to be. Honest and open.

Legendary former Glentoran manager Roy Coyle (Inpho)

"I don't think I realised what I was getting myself into. I was chatting to him and saying, 'yes Roy' and 'thank-you Roy' and all that. And as I walked out the door he goes 'by the way son, it is gaffer now'. And I thought 'flip, what have I left myself in for here'.

"But he is the Gaffer. He has won everything there is to win, many times over. He has over 50 winner's medals, and to play under him was a massive experience and he is probably the best manager I have played under."

Check out the video for more...

Read more: Sky pundit "surprised" David Healy isn't bossing a cross channel club

Read more: Elliott Morris picks out the Best Glentoran XI he played with

Sign up to our free sports newsletter to get the latest headlines to your inbox.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.