Football management is often about learning on the job – particularly given the varying natures of clubs - but arguably, few have had such a baptism of football league fire than Steve Morison.
A striker who began life in non-league before reaching the very top of the international game, Morison retired in 2019 and was settling into roles with the academy teams at Millwall and then Cardiff when he was thrust into the top job with the Bluebirds after Mick McCarthy was sacked.
It was quite the beginning for the first-time boss, who now finds himself in charge at National League side Sutton United but looks back on the post as a valuable start in his coaching journey.
“You just have to take challenges on. It's a job I thought I couldn’t turn down,” Morison exclusively tells DAZN whilst travelling on the club coach to their latest away day in the gruelling festive fixture schedule.
“I learnt a lot, and obviously I'd like to think it holds me in good stead going forward.
“It was nice to be doing such a big job at an early stage, and it's a valuable experience now. It was the start of your journey, and I just didn’t want it to be the end of my journey.
“It was just a massive learning curve, to be honest, and I learnt the games all about the people and having belief in what you do as a manager.”
Morison's path to Sutton
Despite being thrown into the deep end at Cardiff, Morison impressed by steering the Championship club away from danger and was rewarded with a permanent deal at the start of the 2022-23 season. Yet, the honeymoon didn’t last long, and he was sacked ten games into the season after a difficult start to the campaign.
A short stint at Isthmian League side Hornchurch allowed Morison to get back on the management train before the opportunity arose at Sutton – who, at the time, were struggling at the wrong end of League Two.
The club shot to fame with a famous FA Cup win over holders Coventry in the late eighties before the pie-eating antics of goalkeeper Wayne Shaw two decades later, but for Morison, it was the same lesson he learnt in Wales that drew him to the club.
Paul Loughlin
“The people,” he says emphatically when asked why he chose to take the job at Gander Green Lane.
“I met the owner and the investors, and they were just amazing from day one. They made me feel like it was a big part of a plan, a project. Obviously, if we stayed up, it was a bonus. But yeah, just honestly really, really good people to this day.
“They supported me hugely. Obviously, you don't often get an opportunity to pick your next employer, pick the people you work for. Sometimes, you have to do something, but these guys are just amazing.”
Morison wasn’t able to prevent Sutton from dropping out of the Football League last season but remained in charge to spearhead their National League bid. Returning to the level where the striker began as a player with the likes of Bishop's Stortford and Stevenage. So, does that personal experience help him to get his messages across to his current squad?
“Yeah, definitely because it can put them on that same level. You can stand there and say, I know what it's like to be you. I know what you're trying to achieve, and I can obviously help you get there.
“Being able to draw on experiences and being able to share those with players in the same situation as you were in is obviously huge.”
Navigating the National League
After non-league, Morison moved up the leagues, becoming a club legend at Millwall – where he enjoyed two spells – before reaching the top flight with Norwich and earning twenty caps for Wales. It’s fair to say he lived up to the potential shown during his days at this level, but how does he assess Sutton's potential and the possibility of them earning back their league status?
“The potential is great. It's an amazing location. We've got really good people at Football Club.
“It's got an opportunity to build and grow something. Obviously, we got into the leagues as they did, stayed there for a few years, and then came back out. It's just a case of trying to build that sustainability to be able to stay a league club the next time we get there and have some longevity.”
Paul Loughlin
If Sutton are to return to the league, they’ll have to navigate their way out of a division that’s becoming harder and more competitive every season and a landscape that Morison admits is very different from his beginnings at this level.
Gone are the days of it being the setting for those looking to wind down their careers, and in fact, in 2025, the National League is quite the opposite, and the quality spreads up and down the country.
“It's fierce, and I think it's one of those leagues that says literally that anyone can beat anyone,” Morison finishes saying as he prepares for the rest of his coach journey up north.
“That's what's amazing. It's like every game. This game, this team, this position in the league, it's literally a case of it really doesn't matter. Literally, anyone can beat anyone. I think we've seen that this year already. The standard's a lot better than what it was last time I was at this level, which I've seen a lot of times right now.
“The facilities, everything's just better. The standard of pitchers, the players, it's not just a dumping ground now for ex-league players who are sitting out their careers.
“It's full of teams with players who have started their career, and they see it as a stepping stone, a way to get into the league. It's a really competitive and high-quality league now.”
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