Morrell to join Portsmouth's coaching staff

Former Portsmouth and Wales midfielder Joe Morrell will be returning to Fratton Park to join John Mousinho's coaching staff.

BBC Radio Solent reports the 29-year-old will head back to the south coast as a first-team coach, replacing Zesh Rehman, who left Pompey in late 2025.

Morrell left Portsmouth as a player in the summer of 2024 before retiring from football in October last year, aged 28, due to injuries.

He spent last season coaching with Bristol City's under-21s.

"It's pretty well-documented that I've had a tough couple of years but I've loved every second of being back," he told BBC Radio Bristol in April.

"The purpose and the pressure that I missed those couple of years when I was trying to get back playing, I've found in abundance back in this role."

Morrell, who won 37 caps for his country, played more than 100 times for Portsmouth and also enjoyed spells at Cheltenham, Lincoln City and Luton Town.

His first match as a member of the Pompey coaching team will be Sunday's south coast derby at Southampton as the Championship resumes after a three-week international break.

After seven games, Mousinho's Portsmouth side sit 19th in the table with two wins and three defeats.

BBC Radio Solent's Portsmouth commentator Andrew Moon:

Joe Morrell was popular among supporters and fellow players when he was part of Pompey's League One title-winning team.

Even before his unfortunate career-ending injury it was always likely he'd go into coaching.

He's an intelligent individual with a passion for the game and John Mousinho has always spoken highly of Morrell.

This has not been a case of "jobs for the boys" though - Morrell had to go through two rounds of interviews to get the post and he beat three other candidates in the second round.

He's set to be in the dugout for the south coast derby on Sunday. Not a bad first game to start your second Pompey career!