Ex-Arsenal player dubbed 'special talent' by Wenger released by Morecambe

10 May 2023 , 16:05

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger once described Dan Crowley as a 'special talent' (Image: (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images))

Former Arsenal player Dan Crowley has been released by League One club Morecambe, with the creative midfielder let go after the club's relegation to League Two.

The club's retained list has been revealed following the end of the League One season, with the Shrimpers having finished 22nd in the table. Their relegation was sealed by defeat to Exeter City on May 7, with a return to League Two after two seasons in the third tier of English football.

Having joined the club in January from Dutch side Willem II, 25-year-old Crowley started 20 matches in the league this season for manager Derek Adams, with the playmaker scoring twice and recording five assists. It is a long way from what might have been expected following Crowley's move from Aston Villa to Arsenal as a talented 15-year-old in 2013.

It is a disappointing chapter in the career of a player who was once dubbed as being a 'special talent' by former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. Speaking in 2016, a year before he was released by the Gunners, the legendary boss lavished praise on the attacking midfielder.

"He is a player who has a huge talent," Wenger said in an interview with Arsenal Player. "He's very creative and he's very good in the final third. He's a special talent as well, he can finish and he can do the final ball.

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"What he needs is to develop physically a little bit and already I think he has made a big strides forward there and also cope with the responsibility of being the playmaker. In the Premier League today, maybe it is a bit early for him but to carry that long process through, it'll be interesting for him."

Former Arsenal youth player Dan Crowley has been released by Morecambe

Having never made an appearance for Arsenal, Crowley's release was followed by a move to join Willem II in the Eredivisie in 2019. Two impressive seasons led to Championship club Birmingham City taking a chance on Crowley, but while his talent was clear, a need for more defensive ability from midfielders in modern football has hampered his development.

Aitor Karanka's preference for a more defensive system at Birmingham led to his release in 2020, with a move to Hull City to follow. He left the Tigers in 2021, joining League One side Cheltenham Town for the first part of the 2021/22 season before a return to Dutch football with Willem II, where he had previously enjoyed some of the best form of his career.

Having been playing in the Dutch second tier, he returned to England in January, to join Morecambe. However, his presence could not keep the Shrimpers afloat, with fellow former Premier League players Oumar Niasse and Pape Soare also released along with the club's top scorer Cole Stockton having failed to achieve survival in League One.

Will Freeman