Town captain Sam Morsy says the Blues are determined to get one final Premier League victory in front of their home supporters ahead of West Ham United’s visit to Portman Road on Sunday.

The curtain will close on Town’s first top flight season for 22 years this weekend, and while an immediate return to the Championship has been confirmed, the Blue Army have not stopped backing the group to the very end.

That is despite the Blues registering just a single home league win all season and on a current club-record run of eight straight defeats at Portman Road since the turn of the year.

Morsy, who is set to make his 150th league start for the club this weekend, appreciates that the supporters understand where Town have come from following back-to-back promotions, but remains positive for the future of the club beyond the end of this season.

“They haven’t stopped supporting us,” he said. “The support home and away has been incredible all season. It would be amazing if we could get a good performance and a good result.

“It’s not going to be easy because just how we want that for our fans, West Ham will want that for their fans as well. It’s not going to be easy but we’re going to try our best and give our all. If we can get result it would be amazing.

“Our fans are very understanding of the journey, they’ve supported us tremendously well. You only have to look at the likes of Bournemouth, Fulham and these sorts of teams that it can take time to fully establish yourself as a Premier League team and I think they understand that.

“The club’s trajectory is only going one way so they’ll support us no doubt. Next season they’ll be there in their numbers for another exciting season.”

It could be easy to forget that, even at the age of 33, Morsy is coming to the end of his first season of Premier League football having spent the previous 14 years of his career playing at various levels in the EFL.

Therefore, captaining Town in the top flight has been one of Morsy’s proudest achievements to date and one he hopes will not be his last taste of playing at the elite level.

“It’s an amazing achievement,” he reflected. “Something I’ll probably reflect on more in the summer when the season is done sat on a beach somewhere relaxing.

“Just leading this club at any level, to be honest, has been a huge honour and a huge privilege. To get to the highest level again is something that probably won’t hit me until the summer.

“It’s been amazing. If you think where the club’s been for a long time, it hasn’t been competing. So to compete against the best in the world and for large parts of the season give a really good account of ourselves has been special.

“When we interact with the fans, you can see how much it’s meant to them and they’ve really loved it home and away watching us and travelling.

“It hasn’t gone as well as we’d have liked it to but they’ll be there next season as well and hopefully we can have a good season next season.”

Another of Morsy’s achievements was to score his first goal at Premier League level against Southampton in September, with his strike from outside the box claiming the Blues a point in stoppage time.

Morsy said: “It was really special. Some people never get to score in the Premier League and a lot of good players never get to play in the Premier League, so it was a huge privilege and honour to do that for myself, my family and my friends.”

Much has been made of the Blues’ recruitment once they reached the top table of English football last summer, with very few players with significant Premier League experience arriving at Portman Road off the back of promotion.

But Morsy made a staunch defence of the strategy, insisting that the Blues, alongside their fellow promoted sides who would go on to be relegated, are operating in a different market to their competitors.

He said: “Experience is a huge ingredient. To get an experienced Premier League player who’s still a good player, the reality is Ipswich probably can’t sign them. Leicester probably can’t sign them and Southampton probably can’t sign them.

“Southampton signed one in [Aaron] Ramsdale but other than that it’s incredibly hard to do because they demand such a fee and such a wage. If they had been performing then they’re not going to go to a newly promoted team so it’s always a balance.

“Of course, when you have an unsuccessful season, the best things you could have done are the things you don’t do, that’s always what comes to light. But of course, experience is always really important.”

Asked for his toughest opponent, both as a team and on an individual level, Morsy said: “I thought Man City were really good. When we played them at home they had just got all their players back fit and were fantastic on the day.

“I think the best player I’ve played against would be two in my position, [Youri] Tielemans and [Sandro] Tonali. Both completely different players but both players who I watch a lot and are top players. Tielemans is, in my opinion, the best midfielder in the league.

“Every league is a jump. The attackers in particular are ruthless and good, but it’s just about moments really. The biggest thing is the quality moments, it’s a bit harder to score a goal and the attacking players don’t need many chances to score a goal.”

One of those clinical attackers that has not found scoring an issue this season is Morsy’s Egypt international teammate Mohamed Salah.

The Liverpool winger has scored an astonishing 28 goals and registered 18 assists in the division this season, which has led to him being named as the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year award for a record-equalling third time.

“That’s well deserved,” Morsy said. “I think he’s been the best player in the Premier League and possibly in the world. I don’t know how close he’ll be to getting the Ballon d'Or but it’ll certainly be really close and I hope he does.

“It’s fully deserved for his numbers and his contribution. If any of the teams had him in their team, they’d have probably won the Premier League, that’s how important he’s been.

“His stats are through the roof, the percentage of goals he’s been involved in and luckily for Liverpool they tied him down because I think he’s irreplaceable.
“When you get past 30 people just want to write you off, that’s just the way it goes in football. He’s maintained his level which doesn’t surprise me.

“If the numbers weren’t there then the press would say his legs are gone, but they clearly haven’t and he’s continued to do what he can do.”

Photo: TWTD

flykickingbybgunn added 14:36 - May 24 It will be a sad day when Sammy finally hangs up his boots. Already a Legend
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BlueRuin69 added 15:14 - May 24 Sam Morsy has been brilliant from day one and will still be the best DM in championship next year COYB
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wolfyattheback added 18:02 - May 24 Sam has been incredible, in a way I would love him to be offered a deal in Saudi during the close season to get the payday of a king.
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