Town forward Conor Chaplin has paid tribute to Blues captain Sam Morsy, who is close to leaving the club to join Kuwait SC in the Middle East.
Morsy is set to join the 20-time Kuwait Premier League champions on a free transfer despite having one year left on his contract, the Blues opting not to stand in Morsy’s way as he explores what is believed to be a highly lucrative two-year deal on the table.
Chaplin, who has played more games with Morsy than any other teammate in his career, reflected on the Egypt international’s influential contribution to the Blues which included captaining the side to back-to-back promotions.
"I’ve been with Skip for four years, we signed in the same window,” he said. "We were all brought in at the same mad time, 19 players we signed that summer. What happened in the four years after that is something you can only dream of.
"I’ve had an incredible memory bank with Skip. Not just memories in terms of the promotions but some memories in terms of the disappointments and how we’ve tried to pick the team back up from that. We’ve leant on each other a lot of times throughout that time.
"I’m going to miss Skip, for sure. I’m going to miss what he brings to the group, the relentlessness, his competitiveness and his professionalism. I’m going to miss those things about him, and the group will as well.”
Chaplin has widely been spoken as one of a number of members of the Blues’ leadership group, and has previously taken the armband for Kieran McKenna’s side in Morsy’s absence. Those qualities are what Chaplin hopes the rest of the squad can learn from.
He said: "I probably wouldn’t rank my captains but he’s been brilliant. Someone that works and dedicates to be the professional that he is every single day has all my utmost respect. Skip is definitely that.
"It’s up to us and other players in the group now to find a little bit more in themselves when it comes to the demands that they put on themselves and the standards they have every single day. That is something I’ll be pushing as well.”
Morsy, who will turn 34 in September, will leave the club having played 165 matches for the Blues, scoring 11 goals.