Portsmouth midfielder lifts lid on his lengthy injury - and how he felt 'embarrassed' going to training

The midfielder admitted he felt ‘embarrassed’ reporting for Pompey during his long-term injury absence earlier this season.

Morris featured in just two pre-season friendlies for Kenny Jackett’s side last summer due to the pain his setback was causing him.

He first felt his problem just months after moving to Fratton Park from Shrewsbury in January 2019.

The ex-England youth skipper visited a specialist in Ireland and also had surgery in Germany – but both failed to resolve his issue.

Speaking to the League One Lowdown podcast, Morris told of his frustrations during his prolonged period on the treatment table – which almost caused him to depart the club.

And when team-mates quizzed him when he’d be back fit, the Hartlepool lad revealed he felt uneasy.

He said: ‘It was toward the end of the Southend game in the March where I felt my groin.

‘I remember playing Accrington at the end of the season and I couldn't open up. I couldn't sprint or kick the ball with my left foot and I was leaning back for shots because I didn't have the strength or power.

‘I came back from holiday, had an injection and missed the first few days of pre-season because you can't train for a few days after.

After a week of pre-season, I thought it was alright. I played 45 minutes in Ireland and it was fine then we played Bognor and I had to come off at half-time because it wasn't right.

‘It was weird because I could run in straight lines but as soon as I was turning or passing the ball with my left foot, I was really struggling.

‘I went to an Irish specialist, had loads of tests and they said it was a normal groin injury and gave me a rehab programme.

‘That was supposed to sort me out but it still didn't feel right. I went into training and out of training so my times. I was unbelievably frustrated and tested to an extreme mentally.

‘I live right off the pitch and was trying everything from changing my diet to bathing with Epsom salts just to get me back quicker and it wasn't working.

‘It was just the same again after I went back outside, if not worse.

‘I was having meetings with the gaffer and physio all of the time to trying to get to the bottom of it. I kind of felt people didn't understand the severity of it.

‘When the transfer window was still open, I went and saw the gaffer. My head was all over and said I thought it'd be best if I went out on loan once fit.

‘He was really good with me, to be fair, and knew I was going through a hard time.

‘At times, I felt embarrassed about going into training. People were saying "Bryn, how long until you're back?" but I didn't know. It was really mentally hard.’

Morris would eventually see Harley Street physio James Moore, who helped cure his issue.

Now the former Wycombe man is feeling in fine fettle ahead of Pompey’s play-off campaign.

Morris added: ‘I had a four-week programme off him and it was the same thing every day – it was brutal. I didn't feel any change but the physio just told me to trust it.

‘About six or seven weeks, I started feeling little improvements then moved into a more intense programme.

‘As I came towards the end of the programme, there were more improvements. You're never 100 per cent when you come back from injuries so I took the rough with the smooth.

‘A lot of it was trying to replicate movement in football and I didn't want to give up.

‘I was training really well but didn't do a full sessions with the team because we were playing Saturday-Tuesday for a long time.

‘Just before the lockdown, I'd trained for three weeks and playing 60 minutes against the navy.

‘I wanted a test of an intense game to really test my legs. I was feeling good but not as good as feeling now.’