Ex-Leeds United striker takes charge of seventh tier non-league side after Championship exit

Steve Morison joined Leeds from Norwich City in January 2013 and made 16 appearances for the Whites before being loaned out to Millwall the following summer. After a full campaign with the Lions, Morison returned to Leeds and made 26 appearances the following season before departing the Whites to join Millwall on a permanent deal in August 2015.

After finishing his playing career at Shrewsbury Town, the former striker then turned his attentions to coaching upon retiring and was named Cardiff boss in November 2021 following a spell in caretaker charge after coaching the club’s under-23s.

Morison was named Championship manager of the month the following March en route to the Bluebirds avoiding the drop but the Welsh outfit then had a poor start to the following campaign and Morison was sacked in September 2022.

The 39-year-old has been out of the game since but Morison has now been named as the new manager of Isthmian League Premier Division side Hornchurch who narrowly missed out on promotion to Conference South last season.

Upminster outfit Hornchurch had to settle for a place in the play-offs upon finishing second behind automatically promoted champions Bishop’s Stortford but booked their place in the play-off final after progressing past Cray Wanderers in the semi-finals.

But Hornchurch were then defeated 1-0 by Aveley in the play-off final and the side nicknamed the Urchins have turned to Morison ahead of the new campaign.