The painful slow death of a playing career after World Cup highs

"As so often can be the case in football, it's the hope that hurts you. Joe Morrell still had hope. He still had aims of returning to play alongside Wales team-mates he had shared dressing rooms with from youth level all the way to two major finals. Even relatively recently, the 28-year-old still had hope of being part of Craig Bellamy's side that carry the ambition of returning to the World Cup stage Morrell enjoyed just three years ago."

"And then it was all taken away. Not suddenly, not immediately. Not even remotely obvious when a nothing twist of the knee ultimately turned everything on its head. But slowly and, ultimately, painfully. So much so that, after 21 long months of clinging to hope, last month's decision to retire brought more relief than resentment."

"Instead, Morrell went through almost two years of what he called the "snakes and ladders" of trying to get back on the pitch, trying not to take home the setbacks to protect his family from the frustration and nagging doubts over his future that increasingly crept in. Enough to take a toll on most - and especially for someone who had scrapped so long in his career, surprising people along the way."

Joe Morrell, a 28-year-old former Wales and Portsmouth midfielder, clung to hope of returning to international football after a knee twist. The injury was initially subtle but led to a prolonged recovery period spanning 21 months. Repeated setbacks and uncertainty made him attempt comebacks while shielding his family from the emotional toll. He had previously progressed from near release as a teenager to playing in major finals and the World Cup three years earlier, and had hoped to rejoin Craig Bellamy's ambitions. Ultimately Morrell retired last month and described the decision as bringing relief rather than resentment.

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