A FORMER Arsenal ace once called a “special talent” by Arsene Wenger is now a free agent.

Dan Crowley, 25, is on the hunt for a new club after being released by League One side Morecambe.

And he is not the only big name to be released by the Shrimps, with ex-Everton forward Oumar Niasse and former Spurs kid Jonathan Obika also leaving.

Morecambe manager Derek Adams said: "To the departing players, it is very difficult as some of them have been with me here for a significant period of time."

Midfield ace Crowley joined Morecambe on a free transfer In January after leaving Dutch side Willem II.

But despite scoring twice in 14 games, Crowley was unable to prevent the Shrimps from being relegated to League Two.

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And he is now hoping for a swift return to football, six years after being let go by Arsenal.

Crowley joined the Gunners from Aston Villa as a whizkid in 2013 after being watched by Wenger – with the legendary manager then pushing for the club to bring him on board.

He spent time out on loan with Barnsley, Oxford and Go Ahead Eagles.

And Crowley even received special praise from Wenger, who said in 2016: “He is a player who has a huge talent.

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“He’s very creative and he’s very good in the final third. He’s a special talent as well, he can finish and he can do the final ball.

“What he needs is to develop physically a little bit and already I think he has made a big strides forward there and also cope with the responsibility of being the playmaker.

“In the Premier League today, maybe it is a bit early for him but to carry that long process through, it’ll be interesting for him.”

However, Crowley ended up being let go for Arsenal in 2017 and ended up joining Dutch outfit Willem II.

He blasted the Gunners’ academy in 2019, saying: "The thing with Arsenal is they play a certain way and not many teams play that way – and I think that’s a problem as well.

“They don’t teach you about going on loan to the lower league clubs – to go from such a big club like Arsenal, playing with great players, to then playing a completely different way in League One.

“That’s what’s wrong with the youth system in England. That’s nothing against the first team because the first team have to win, they don’t have the time really to worry about the young players. So, I don’t put any blame on them.

“But something does have to change and that’s why everyone is coming out to Holland and Germany, because they need game time.”

Crowley then had spells at SC Cambuur, Birmingham, Hull and Cheltenham before rejoining Willem II in 2021, and subsequently Morecambe in January.

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