Morris is a dangerman ahead of Canaries homecoming

Morris’ prolific goalscoring start to his Luton Town career saw him edge out Teemu Pukki to be named the Championship’s player-of-the-month for September.

The 26-year-old centre forward spent 15 years with the Canaries, but after a series of loan spells finally cut his ties to join Barnsley in January 2021.

Morris was on the pitch at Oakwell when City lifted their second Championship title under Daniel Farke, before the Tykes themselves missed out in the play-offs.

But Luton paid a club record fee to bring him to Kenilworth Road this summer, and Morris has already delivered.

The powerful Hatters’ attacker is a dangerman for Dean Smith’s squad, ahead of next week’s Carrow Road league duel, after notching six goals in his first 11 Championship outings.

“We’re in good form at the moment,” said Morris. “We are starting to find our groove and it’s about staying in it by doing the right things, getting the basics right and listening to the advice that the staff and the gaffer give us.

“They spend hours doing their due diligence so we can perform on a Saturday or a Tuesday, expose weaknesses and use them to our advantage. That’s something we’ve been doing excellently of late and long may it continue.

“Nothing in this game is achievable without a good squad of lads behind you, and that’s what we’ve got in abundance here. Everywhere you look there’s a smiling face that’s willing to help you.

“I’m very grateful for the EFL and the judges for recognising what we’ve got cooking over here, as it’s more of a team award than anything.”

Morris had six different managers at Carrrow Road, but injuries scuppered his first team chances.

“I’ve had so many ups and downs in this game it has taught me is to just enjoy the ride,” he said. “I have my personal little targets and goals that you know, I like to keep locked inside my own head. My dad always tells me it's not going to last forever. It is a short career and you've got to enjoy it while doing it.”

Carlton Morris in action against his old club on the day they lifted the 2020/21 Championship title at Barnsley (Image: Focus Images Limited)

Luton chief Nathan Jones has been delighted with Morris’ impact.

“Carlton absolutely deserves his award,” he told his club's official site. “It’s not just the goals but his performance levels and everything he’s done. We’re delighted with him; delighted with how he is around the place and the human being he is, and delighted with what he does for us.

“We got him because we believed he would add certain things to us, and he’s been everything we thought he would be.”

Morris was recruited to help Luton build on last season’s Championship play-off tilt, and Jones does not believe the size of the fee – in excess of the £1.3m to sign keeper Simon Sluga in 2019 – will be a factor.

“No, because we haven’t just gone and spent £80million on him, we’ve been realistic,” he said quoted on Luton Today. “We had a real good season last year and we wanted to build on that. We said, ‘this is how we play and this is what we need’.

“There was a big weight on (Elijah) Adebayo’s shoulders last year as a number nine, a target and a catalyst. We needed to help that and add more competition to that.

“We have Cameron Jerome that, with the greatest of respect, is at a different stage of his career, so we wanted that. We asked the board and they needed justification for it.

“And, to be fair to them, they went out and did everything they possibly could to get that.

“So, it’s not justifying that (transfer fee), it’s a real round peg in a round hole that we needed to fill. He’s scored six goals, but if he doesn’t score another goal then it won’t be money well spent.

“But if continues to score at the rate that he has then he’ll be a wonderful purchase.

“At the minute he’s in good form, but he’s scored six goals.

“Seven or nine is his best return (in the Championship), so we want to make sure that he gets past that quickly, and then we’ll see where he will go.”