'He’s a top player': Joe Morrell on the Portsmouth team-mate he'd love to play alongside - but probably never will

Yet the Welsh international concedes the pair’s diminutive height ensures it’s unlikely to ever happen.

Morrell has yet to appear in the same side as the summer signing, with one usually replacing the other during substitutions.

The duo have also suffered injury problems, keeping them out of action at alternative times, with Lowery presently absent through a hamstring tear.

Morrell admits the pair have similarities, although points to his team-mate’s superior goal-scoring record and smaller height of 5ft 6in as differences.

And he remains impressed with the former Crewe man’s Fratton Park impact.

He told The News: ‘Being a small central midfielder, you have to be good at certain things.

‘You have to be good on the ball, you have to be good against the ball, you have to use your body well, and you have to think quicker than other people - so I think there’s a resemblance in that regard.

‘We are also a bit different. Maybe Tom is more offensive than I am and through his career has scored a fair few goals, more than I have, but there are definitely similarities.

‘I think we could play together, I don’t see why not. I would like to do it at some point, he’s a top player and you want to play with good players.

‘Maybe in a 4-4-2 it becomes a bit difficult because the average height would be 5ft 1in! You would obviously also lose Marlon’s heights at set-pieces.

‘Tom’s smaller than me, I make sure I remind people of that. All the small jokes have now been passed onto him, such as the Photoshop pictures that end up in our group chat of some small person or other.

‘I’d imagine that is always the case in any workplace, but they have been onto him now about his height, which is good news for me!

‘Tom’s a good lad who has definitely brought a lot to the team, in terms of technical ability, which we were lacking last year.

‘I would love to play alongside him at some point – but I understand it would be difficult.’

Lowery has made 10 appearances this season, yet injury has sidelined him from Pompey’s last three matches.

Morrell added: ‘He probably wasn’t expecting to go in as quickly as he has on the back of training on his own in the summer.

‘But with me and Louis getting injured, he has slotted in like he’d had a full pre-season and been with us for ages.

‘Tom’s been excellent and whenever he’s back we’ll welcome him with open arms.’

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