Bristol City boss Lee Johnson has told Joe Morrell that he can have a future at Ashton Gate after the midfielder revealed he may struggle to have a long-term future with the club.

Speaking to Bristol Live, the 22-year-old, who is currently on loan at Lincoln, insisted that it's about playing games for him at this stage of his career and he expressed concern that he might not get the chance for the Robins.

However, Johnson addressed those comments at his press conference today, insisting that Morrell is in his plans moving forward.

"The pathway is there for Joe. I like him, he’s a really good player. At one point it looked like he might not have had a career but we asked Cheltenham to take him because we knew once he got in the door he’d make the most of it.

"He would have been frustrated he didn’t get more games (last season). Jamie McCombe has taken charge at Lincoln and I’m in regular contact with him mainly cos he’s a mate but also I’m interested to know how Joe’s doing."

Morrell recently won his first cap for Wales against Belarus earlier this month.

The verdict

Despite Morrell's fears, Johnson clearly thinks the midfielder can play for Bristol City in the years to come.

But, you can understand why the player is frustrated. He is 22 now and if the fact he was sent out on loan suggests that Johnson feels there are a lot of better options in front of him and ultimately actions speak louder than words.

It will be interesting to see what the future does hold but all Morrell can do is focus on Lincoln now and if his performances are good, his parent club will be taking notice.

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