Aidan Morris

Aidan Zen Patrick Morris (born November 16, 2001) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for EFL Championship club Middlesbrough and the United States national team.

Youth career
Originally from Florida, Morris played academy soccer for Weston FC, and was recruited to the Columbus Crew Academy, where he played from 2017 to 2019. He attended Indiana University in 2019, where he scored his first collegiate goal on October 1 against Northwestern. Morris was recognized as the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week twice on October 8 and 29, and was later named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and won the 2019 TopDrawerSoccer.com National Freshman of the Year Award. After his lone college season, Morris signed as a homegrown player for the Columbus Crew.

2020 season
Morris was announced as a homegrown player signing by the Columbus Crew on January 14, 2020. He made his professional debut in a July 11 match during the MLS is Back Tournament, coming on late in a 4–0 trouncing of in-state rival FC Cincinnati. He made his second appearance for the Crew on July 16, coming off the bench for an injured Darlington Nagbe in the 67th minute of a 2–0 win against New York Red Bulls. He made his first start for the Crew in October 2020. Overall, Morris made eleven appearances for the Crew during the 2020 MLS season. To cap off the season, on December 12, 2020, he became the youngest player in league history to start in MLS Cup as he helped guide the Crew to a 3–0 win over the Seattle Sounders.

2021 season
Morris started the first game of the 2021 season for the Crew, a 4–0 win against Real Estelí in the round of 16 of the CONCACAF Champions League. Morris again started the second leg against Real Esteli, however, he left the game in the fourth minute of what was a 1–0 victory for Columbus with an ACL injury that sidelined him for the entirety of the 2021 MLS season.

Middlesbrough
On June 28, 2024, Morris signed a four-year deal with EFL Championship club Middlesbrough. The transfer fee was reported by The Athletic to be in the region of $4 million.

International career
Born in the United States, Morris is of Canadian descent through his father. He has made appearances for the United States under-18 and under-20 soccer teams. He made his senior debut in a 2–1 loss to Serbia on January 25, 2023.

In May 2023, Morris was listed on both the United States and Canada preliminary rosters for the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League Finals. In June 2023, he committed to the United States, joining their roster for the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

On October 8, 2023, Morris was called up to the United States under-23 national team ahead of friendlies against Mexico and Japan.

Style of play
Morris is known for his athleticism and aggressive style of play as a defensive-minded midfielder. Morris possesses great defensive awareness, speed, and tenacity, which make him an excellent asset as a danger-mitigating midfielder. Morris has a high energy level and an impressive work rate, and he is not afraid to tackle or get involved in any part of the field, earning him the reputation as a player with a relentless engine.

Honors
Indiana Hoosiers
 * Big Ten men's soccer tournament: 2019

Columbus Crew
 * MLS Cup: 2020, 2023

Individual
 * Top Drawer Soccer Freshman of the Year: 2019
 * MLS All-Star: 2023