Portsmouth midfielder reveals extent of red card lows in wake of flood of criticism for former Bristol City, Luton Town and Lincoln City man

And the in-form Blues midfielder told how the struggles he’s faced in the wake of his MK Dons dismissal, were echoed when he found himself under the spotlight for being given his marching orders for Wales.

Disciplinary issues have been one of the talking points surrounding Morrell in recent months, after a season where he picked up three red cards - followed by another against Peterborough this month.

The 26-year-old faced particular criticism at MK Dons in April for tussling with Danie Harvie in the 1-1 draw, as his side chased a play-off spot.

Another setback followed in June on international duty, when a high challenge on Turkey’s Ferdi Kadioglu saw Morrell sent for an early shower, as his country eventually succumbed to a 2-0 Euro 2024 qualifying defeat.

The events hit the 2021 signing from Luton hard, with Morrell having to carry the burden of letting his team-mates down at crucial moments.

He said: ‘It (MK Dons) was, for sure (one of the lowest moments of his career).

‘When you do something that stupid you’ve only got yourself to blame.

‘You’ve got no excuses.

‘Obviously people will look in and criticise you, which I can understand and fully take on board.

‘For sure it was one of the lowest, because you know you’ve messed up.

‘There was that and probably Turkey in the summer as well.

‘That was probably an honest tackle, but I obviously end up getting sent off and it’s really cost us.

‘There’s no worse feeling as a footballer or probably elite sportsman than knowing you’ve let your team-mates down.

‘You know how hard you’ve all worked to be on the right side of things.’

In the wake of his MK Dons dismissal, Morrell faced a wave of criticism as Pompey’s play-off bid foundered after some promising form following Mousinho’s arrival.

Likewise, in June he was back under the spotlight for the Wales red card, with pundits and online fans having their say on both incidents.

Morrell explained that was a scenario he was comfortable with when he maintained his own standards.

He added: ‘People always talk about criticism on social media or in the papers.

‘That for me has never been a problem, because there’s no one who’s harder on myself than me.

‘For me, it’s all outside noise because I’m someone who is never satisfied.

‘I’m someone who wants to be better.

‘Even when I’m playing my best football I’m someone who can try to look for parts of the game where I can improve and get better.

‘That will certainly always be the case.’