Aberdeen winger Shayden Morris is ready to talk about extending his stay at Pittodrie.
The former Fleetwood Town wideman’s contract with the Dons expires in the summer of 2026.
But after making his breakthrough to the first team under manager Jimmy Thelin this season, the Englishman is happy to discuss a new deal with the club.
When asked if contract talks are planned, Morris said: “Hopefully, yeah. I’m enjoying my time here.
“We’ll see what happens – I’d be happy to speak, definitely.”
Winger has welcomed increased competition
The notion of Morris extending his stay a year ago would have seemed a fanciful one.
He had struggled to make an impact since his arrival in the summer of 2022, contributing two assists in 36 appearances in his first two campaigns in Scottish football.
Morris struggled to make an impact and his time at the club was hampered by two serious hamstring injuries.
But this season has been a transformative one for the winger.
Morris has become a pivotal figure for the Dons, making 15 goal contributions for Thelin’s side in only 13 starts, including a winner for his side against Rangers in October.
Competition for places in the Aberdeen side is strong – Topi Keskinen and January loan signing Jeppe Okkels are also vying for the wide roles in the Dons starting XI.
With four goals and 11 assists so far this season, ,though, Morris is pushing his case for more starts at the club and the winger has welcomed the challenge.
He said: “It is healthy for us.
“Jeppe is a good player and so he pushes the standards in training especially.
“It’s good to add some competition because, as you know, Aberdeen’s a big club.
“So we are ready for competition and happy to accept it. Competition is good for us.”
Morris’ impressive cameo off the bench in the 2-2 draw with Dundee United on March 2 has led to him starting the last two games for his club.
But the winger insists he is relaxed about Thelin’s rotation policy at Pittodrie.
He said: “I feel like we need that rotation, being able to rotate with good players coming in and out, and it’s good for the squad.”
Morris relishing Aberdeen run-in
Aberdeen have shown signs of emerging from a mid-season slump which saw the Thelin’s side go on a 14-match winless run in the Scottish Premiership from mid-November to February.
They have now put together a run of just one defeat in their last seven matches in all competitions.
Morris admits the winter run was difficult for everyone at Pittodrie, but he remains optimistic his side can produce a strong finish to the campaign.
With eight league matches remaining, the Dons are fourth in the league, one point behind Hibernian, and they have a Scottish Cup semi-final against Hearts to look forward to next month.
With European football and silverware still up for the grabs, Morris is looking forward to the run-in with optimism as he and his team-mates emerge from a challenging period.
He said: “It was hard. It was a tough stage for us going through that many losses and not getting wins.
“But to be fair, I feel like there are seasons within seasons and it’s not just going to be smooth sailing.
“We’re just going to take it game by game and then see where that can take us.”
Conversation