2K1GC2P Blackburn Rovers' Tyler Morton during the Sky Bet Championship match at Ewood Park, Blackburn. Picture date: Tuesday September 13, 2022.

Tyler Morton 1 game from Wembley as Blackburn pull off FA Cup upset

Liverpool youngster Tyler Morton helped Blackburn beat Leicester to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday night.

The 20-year-old midfielder, who signed a new long-term contract with the Reds in January, played 84 minutes as Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side knocked out Premier League opposition to reach the last eight.

Having been in and out of the side since the turn of the year, this was Morton’s first start for Blackburn since their league draw at West Brom in mid-February.

And he came through with flying colours, with WhoScored giving him a 7.5 rating for his performance, the second best out of any of Blackburn’s players.

Morton started in a double pivot, alongside Lewis Travis in Blackburn’s 4-2-3-1 formation, and was up against a Leicester side which was almost at full strength.

Goals from Tyrhys Dolan and Sammie Szmodics gave Blackburn a 2-0 lead at the King Power Stadium, with Kelechi Iheanacho scoring a consolation for the hosts.

The draw for the quarter-finals will take place on Wednesday evening, and there’s every chance Morton will face a top-flight side once again.

Brighton, Fulham and Man City also progressed on Tuesday, with the likes of Man United and Tottenham still to play their last 16 encounters. Morton is now just one more win away from Wembley, where the FA Cup semi-finals take place.

The Liverpool academy graduate has racked up 37 appearances for Blackburn to date, and has a big pre-season with the Reds ahead of him, with Jurgen Klopp expected to make major changes to his midfield ranks this summer.

Elsewhere on Tuesday evening, Morton’s fellow Liverpool loanee Conor Bradley played the full 90 minutes in Bolton’s 3-1 defeat to Portsmouth, while striker Fidel O’Rourke played 86 minutes, but wasn’t on the scoresheet in Halifax Town’s 5-0 win over Wealdstone.