Ex-Blackpool striker notes 'turning point' in Seasiders career after move from Coventry City

The 50-year-old joined the Seasiders from Coventry City in 2006, and went on to score 25 goals in 91 appearances during his time at Bloomfield Road.

Morrell, who also represented the likes of Wrexham and Bury, was part of the Blackpool side that won promotion to the Championship side via the play-offs.

The retired forward was on hand with a goal in a semi-final victory over Oldham Athletic, before starting in the 2-0 victory over Yeovil Town at Wembley.

Despite finishing the campaign on a high, Morrell admits things didn’t click for him straight away in Tangerine.

“I had another year at Coventry, and I could’ve stayed there - but the manager Micky Adams said I wouldn’t play that much,” he said.

“I just wanted to play as many games as I could because I came into football late. The first couple of games I wasn’t in the 16, so I thought I’d speak to Simon Grayson because he was interested.

“I knew Blackpool were having a go, trying to get out of the league. I got on really well with Simon, but he didn’t show me the training ground surprisingly enough. It was important that I went to a team that I felt had a chance because I wanted to be at the right end of the table.

“I ended up in a hotel for eight weeks at the start, which was really difficult because I had a little lad in the March beforehand. These things don’t get taken into account when you move clubs, so it did take a while, but I got going in the end.

“I played the first five games, and I didn't score. We brought in Ben Burgess at the same time, and he got a little run in the team, so 10 weeks into the season I hadn’t scored.

“I was sitting in the hotel room with my family miles away thinking: ‘Have I made the right move here.’

“I went to see Simon and he told me I had to be patient. The pressure I was putting on myself to score wasn’t helping matters.

“The turning point was Carlisle away. We got beat 2-0 but I went on and did okay. We shouldn’t have lost, we were really good that night. I then got a goal the weekend after as a sub, and that was me then, I started the next game, and I didn’t stop.

“I forged quite a good partnership with Keigan Parker, and we went off to score 35 to 40 goals between us.”

Back in August, Morrell was among a number of guests at Bloomfield Road to celebrate the club’s successes in the various play-offs.

The former forward believes there was no stopping Grayson’s side in 2007 once they reached the final.

“The seven games until the end of the season we had Joe Hart in goal, which was a brilliant signing to get us over the edge,” he added.

“We had a really stable set team for the last few matches. We were brilliant against Swansea on the last day of the season, it was a personal highlight of my career scoring four in one game.

“We knew we were in good form going into the play-offs. We beat Oldham away 2-1 but we should’ve had six or seven, so I felt we had missed an opportunity. I then watched Forest get done by Yeovil before our second leg, and I had a sleepless night thinking we’d missed our chance.

“But no, we were brilliant again. Keith Southern was amazing and we managed to get over the line and go to Wembley.

“The way Yeovil were celebrating down at Forest, that was like their play-off final. We were straight off the pitch after ours, that’s how professional our group were.

“In the final we were very good, we could’ve won by more, we were just at it. It just seems to be the Blackpool way to do it through the play-offs.

“I loved my time up there, I’ve got some good friends, and I’ve got fond memories. I wish I had stayed longer, and perhaps in hindsight I shouldn’t have gone.”