Ex-Portsmouth play-off midfielder bidding to kickstart career at yet another club after Burton struggles sees Hartlepool switch

Now, 18 months later, Bryn Morris is staging the latest bid to rebuild his career, with a loan switch to Hartlepool.

The midfielder joined Burton last summer following his Fratton Park release after an injury-ravaged three years.

At the time, Brewers boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink declared him as one of League One’s ‘better central midfielders’.

Recruiting him on a two-year deal, Morris has gone on to make just 10 appearances – and on deadline day secured a switch to Hartlepool in the final hour.

The former England youth international’s career hit a tailspin following his January 2019 move to Pompey for an undisclosed fee.

He would make 28 appearances and score once during three seasons on the south coast, while was also loaned out to Northampton.

Clearly injury was the driving factor in his Fratton Park failure, a groin problem later pinpointed as a double hernia ruling him out for lengthy spells.

Yet surprisingly his comeback would be the League One play-off semi-final against Oxford United in July 2020.

Morris started both legs ahead of first-team linchpin Naylor as Kenny Jackett’s men were eliminated in a penalty shoot-out.

He made 18 appearances last season, although was already on loan at Northampton when Danny Cowley arrived in March 2021.

Following the expiry of his contract, he was snapped up by Burton, with Hasselbaink having previously managed him during a loan spell.

However, Morris would start just one League One fixture for the Brewers, with six league outings overall.

He had not featured since November 23, with an appearance as a 56th-minute substitute in a 4-0 win over Accrington.

By the time of his loan departure, the 25-year-old had failed to make the last five squads and was firmly out of the first-team picture.

Now Morris has a chance to kickstart his career at Hartlepool – his hometown club.

The Pools are presently 16th in League Two in their maiden season back in the Football League.

Morris will remain for the rest of the season and reunites with former Pompey team-mate Omar Bogle, himself a January window recruit.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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