'We had moved on, we didn’t anticipate it could be done': Danny Cowley on giving up getting Portsmouth and Ipswich target Joe Morrell - before late drama

Danny Cowley admits he had given up on signing Joe Morrell after Ipswich ‘blew away’ Pompey.
Danny Cowley admits he had given up on capturing Joe Morrell following Ipswich's intervention - yet the midfielder would choose Pompey. Picture: Portsmouth FCDanny Cowley admits he had given up on capturing Joe Morrell following Ipswich's intervention - yet the midfielder would choose Pompey. Picture: Portsmouth FC
Danny Cowley admits he had given up on capturing Joe Morrell following Ipswich's intervention - yet the midfielder would choose Pompey. Picture: Portsmouth FC

And according to the Blues boss, he had begun exploring alternative midfield targets.

The Tractor Boys’ intervention on Sunday threatened to scupper a deal which had been in place towards the end of last week.

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Paul Cook’s side tabled a bigger bid to Luton, while presented Morrell with a ‘significantly better offer’.

And he concedes even he was surprised at the outcome as the Welsh international arrived for an undisclosed fee by the end of the day.

He told The News: ‘It was a roller coaster ride. I think it was after the first loop the loop when I was feeling a bit sick.

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‘It was on, it was off, it was on, it was off, it was on. I don’t actually know how we signed him, if I’m honest.

‘I don’t know how he decided to come here because he had a significantly better offer from another club, but Joe loves football. He just felt his heart, that’s what he said.

‘I have spoken to Joe probably more than anybody this summer. I think we’ve known from the day we got this job that he’d be really good for us and fits the way we want to play and our ideas.

‘Financially, we didn’t think it was possible. It then became possible. We thought we’d got it done - then another club came in and just blew us away, took it away from us.

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‘And somehow it came back to us. We didn’t think it would – but it did.

‘We had moved on, we didn’t anticipate that it could be done.

‘However, sometimes it’s not always about money, not everybody in this world is governed by money.

‘Some people are governed by ambition and wanting to be the best they can be.’

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During the early part of Monday’s pre-match press conference ahead of the Carabao Cup encounter at Millwall, Cowley appeared demoralised.

Yet steadily his mood improved, primarily driven by receiving a string of phone calls which required him to leave the room.

Cowley added: ‘It was a crazy day. We ate fish and chips at Fratton Park at 10.30pm.

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‘It was my wife’s first day in Portsmouth on Sunday. When I went to bed that night, she said “I bet you’re not home by 9pm on Monday”. I promised I would be.

‘I got to 10.30pm (on Monday), then thought “Oh no”.

‘I FaceTimed home and said “Look who I found”. My daughter Bella, loves Declan Rice and loves Joe.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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