By Paul Jones
Sean Morrison wants Kieffer Moore’s goals to power Cardiff City’s promotion charge – and inspire the club’s youngsters in the seasons ahead.
Moore will be Cardiff’s primary weapon when they visit Nottingham Forest on Sunday, with the Wales striker having served out the quarantine imposed on him during international duty after he was judged a close contact of a Covid case.
Bluebirds skipper Morrison got his first real glimpse of Moore’s scoring power when he hammered in two goals at Forest last season to earn his new club a big away win.
While Morrison is hoping for more of the same from the man who ended with 20 goals by the end of the campaign when his side returns to the City Ground, he also knows there are goals to come from teenage star Rubin Colwill.
With no bid big enough in the last transfer window to meet Cardiff’s demands, Moore will carry on up front in the Welsh capital with twin objectives- score as many goals as he can and bring on the youngsters.
The 19-year-old Colwill made his first Wales start in the World Cup qualifier in Belarus, which Wales won with a Gareth Bale hat-trick, and along with Mark Harris is now battling for game time for both club and country.
“I’d played against Kieffer many times before he joined us and he’s always been a very good player. We were really excited to get him and he is a big presence and character on and off the field,” said Morrison.
“He has really come on in the last few years. He’s clicked, scored and created goals and always occupies two or three centre halves.
“Players like Rubin and Mark will only benefit by learning and listening to Kieffer. He learned the hard way in the Championship about how to smash into centre halves and how to link up.
“That’s something Rubin won’t have had a lot of in the U18 and U23s. With Kieffer, Rubin, Mark and Irish international James Collins to choose from up front now it’s a horrible selection decision for the manager to have to make.
“A player who scored 20 goals last season in any team is huge,” added Morrison in reference to Moore’s tally last season.
“We’ve never had that since I’ve been here. If he scores 20 again, with the additions we’ve made, we’re definitely going to be in and around that top six.
When he scored those two goals against Forest, we knew there was a guy who could put the ball in the back of the net.
“He has come on in the last few years where he has clicked, scoring and creating goals, occupying two or three centre halves. We were very lucky to get him last season.”
Forest are currently bottom of the Championship with just one point from their opening five games and manager Chris Hughton is under extreme pressure ahead of today’s game.
Cardiff have won their last 6 trips to Forest, in the league. Forest are currently bottom with no wins this season, Hughton on verge of sack.
Sunday 12th September:
Forest 2-0 Cardiff City
You can see it happening— Jamie O’Connell (@jamieoconnell12) September 12, 2021
Chris Wilder and John Terry are both reported to be interested in managing Forest.
Wilder is looking for work after leaving Sheffield United at the end of last season, while John Terry resigned from his first team coach role at Aston Villa over the summer.