Joe Morrell has been forced to announce his retirement from playing professional football.
Morrell was capped 37 times for Cymru and played in the UEFA EURO 2020 and 2022 FIFA World Cup finals. The 28 year-old midfielder made his debut in 2019 after more than 50 appearances across the Cymru age groups and recently received his UEFA A coaching licence through the FAW’s Coach Education system.
Morrell announced his playing retirement with the following statement.
“This is not something that I ever thought that I would be writing at the age of 28, but today I’ve officially retired from professional football. After almost two years of rehab, trying to get my body back in to a place to train, play and compete in the professional game, I’ve had to admit the fact that I am no longer capable of this.
It’s been an incredibly tough 21 months, full of promise, hope, tears and dark moments, but i’m at peace with the fact that I’ll never again be able to play. I can’t thank my close friends, family and most importantly my amazing wife enough, for the support that they’ve given me during this time. I firmly believe that I will come out of this period a more resilient, well rounded person with a greater sense of perspective on what’s important in life.
Joe Morrell in action for Cymru against the USA at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar
“Football is what I do and not who I am. I am truly one of the lucky ones, and I’m so thankful for the career that I’ve had. Being able to live out not just my dream, but the dream of millions of boys and girls around the world was never something that I took for granted, and I hope that it always came across that way. Starting at Bristol City, and finishing at Portsmouth, with stops at Cheltenham Town, Lincoln City and Luton Town. I would like to thank all of the supporters, staff, and teammates of these clubs for all of the love and support you gave me during my time there.
Joe Morrell (C) sings Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau alongside Joe Rodon, Ethan Ampadu, Connor Roberts & Dan James at EURO 2020
“Almost 200 appearances in all three EFL divisions, 37 caps for the Welsh National Team, including trips to two major tournaments, UEFA Euro 2020 and The FIFA World Cup 2022. I’m proud to say that I gave it absolutely everything to make the most of my career, and the sacrifices, sweat and tears were all worth it. I will be approaching the next stage of my life with the same passion, enthusiasm and ambition and I can’t wait to get started with that process now.“
