I wanted to leave Liverpool last year - I'm not bitter but it's been the toughest season mentally

Tyler Morton

Tyler Morton has admitted it has been the ‘toughest season mentally’ for him after seeing his hopes of leaving Liverpool blocked last summer.

The midfielder impressed on loan at Hull City last season, but ended up staying put at Anfield after talks with Arne Slot despite interest from the likes of Bayer Leverkusen.

The 22-year-old would go on to make five appearances under the Dutchman but failed to feature in the Premier League as the Reds won the title.

while he was proud to see his boyhood club finish the season as champions, Morton admits it has been tough not playing and that his confidence had taken a knock as he revealed how the Liverpool squad helped keep his spirits up.

Morton

“Definitely, I think it's been the toughest season mentally for me,”

“Obviously, I've coped with it very well because I've got good people around me, but it's been very tough.

“When you're not playing, your confidence sort of gets shut down a little bit so it's nice to come back and play here (with England Under-21s).

“I think I've coped with it as well as I possibly could. I think when you're not playing as a footballer who's as hungry as I am, it does hurt.

“It's tough, especially when, in my opinion, I wanted to go out and I wanted to play and I wanted to go on loan and get my game time.

“But having chatted with the manager, having to stay, it could have worked out a lot worse than it did. It probably could have worked out a lot better than it did.”

Morton continued:

“(I spoke to) all my teammates. All my teammates are top, top people. No matter if you're playing, if you're not playing, (they) put their arm around you always.

“I think that's the spirit of Liverpool and that's how it's always been.

The coaching staff were brilliant with me. They'd speak to me, they'd make sure they took time, even if I wasn't in the squad, to do extras with me.

“I'm not a bitter person. If I'm not playing, I’ll still do everything I can to be myself. I had a good time and I still put everything into it and that's why I still feel really sharp.

“It's still been a good season. I think it's been different from what I've had in the past few seasons.

“I think playing time was limited but I think I've still improved and I've still worked hard to be here now and I'm happy I’m here.

“I've still developed and I still feel really sharp and really ready to go (at the Under-21s European Championships).”

Morton is one of three Liverpool players included in Lee Carsley’s squad along with Harvey Elliott and Jarell Quansah.

The future of all three has been the subject of transfer speculation, having not played as much as they would perhaps have liked under Slot.

The midfielder admits it has been an adjustment under the Dutchman, but praised the Reds head coach as he revealed how he has looked to improve Morton’s own game.

Morton said

“Yeah, that's the main topic of conversation, isn't it? Game time,”

“Especially with two players as quality as they (Elliott and Quansah) are.

“It's hard to not play every game, it's hard to not get minutes. The minutes have been very limited for all of us youngsters this year.

“But that's just, there's different playing styles with different managers. And yes, it's been a learning season.

“I think you've got to have these types of seasons where you're trying to learn and I think it's been massive for us.

“Obviously going out on loan myself, it's hard having three different managers in three different years so it's different but I'm used to it.

“He's (Slot) a very good manager. His tactical side of the game's the best I've probably seen to be honest. Tactics wise he's so on it and it's unbelievable but it's been good.

“He's asked me just to be myself and to play the way he likes to play with his teams and I think I've done that when I played so it's been a good season.

“I think I'm a ball-playing midfielder so I like to pass the ball, I like to move it, I like to dictate the game. He (Slot) wanted me to drive with the ball a bit more.

“All the coaching staff wanted me to work on the ball as well. Johnny Heitinga was massive in my development in that as well, and Aaron (Briggs) and Sipke Hulshoff were huge.

“They helped me out not only on the pitch but with little clips and stuff like that so it was still good, still learning.

My driving with the ball basically was the main thing I wanted to work on.

“I think adding things into your game, it just makes you a better player. It makes you stronger.

“I think I've got a lot to add to my game and I feel like I am a quick learner and I do take things in my stride so I think it's working nicely.”