Leeds United v Harrogate Town: A teenage debut, shock runs and scoring against Manchester United - Bryn Morris' FA Cup love afair

There is something about the midfielder and the FA Cup.

Although he made his Middlesbrough debut as a 16-year-old in a 4-1 win over Hastings United, Morris has usually been the underdog. He will be for Harrogate Town at Leeds United on Saturday evening.

“I love the better stadiums, playing against the better clubs and being the underdog,” he says. “It's probably a bit more satisfying when you're on the right side of the result.”

Morris debuted for hometown club Hartlepool United in a round four tie at Crystal Palace, who won 2-0. He reached the quarter-finals with League Two Grimsby Town the following season, beating League One Plymouth Argyle, Cambridge United and Burton Albion, Championship Luton Town and Premier League Southampton.

Twelve months ago Morris did not just play for Newport County at home to Manchester United in round four, his cracker of a goal began a comeback from 2-0 down to 2-2, only for £86m Antony and £72m Rasmus Hojland to dodge a shock.

A fourth successive FA Cup adventure should never have happened but because the only Newport County game he missed through injury since late August was a first-round defeat to Peterborough United, he joined Harrogate free to play in one of their biggest ever games.

“I didn't click on straight away, but when I was speaking to a one of my mates about the move he mentioned it and said 'I don't know how you do it,’” he says. “He follows Hartlepool and the game for them was my debut, this is my second for Harrogate.

“If the lads had a positive result the game beforehand (a 2-0 defeat to Salford City), the gaffer probably would have kept the same team but we had a good result (2-0 at Barrow). When I came in I couldn't train because of insurance (he only officially joined on New Year's Day) and we had a game on the 1st, off on the 2nd so I literally only trained once.

“It was a little bit different in terms of what I've been used to at Newport this season. It's been playing out from the back there. Barrow was a proper League Two game.”

Missing November's Newport-Peterborough match was a Godsend.

“A couple of games before I took a massive knock on my calf and I played the next one when I probably shouldn't,” he recalls. “My calf was black and blue from my knee to my ankle, with a lot of swelling. In hindsight it's been a bit of a blessing.”

He even briefly thought his last Newport game at Rodney Parade might have messed things up.

“I knew for a good three weeks I was moving so when I scored a hat-trick I was thinking, 'I might have killed myself here!'” he admits.

“The manager did his best to keep me but the chairman looked at it more from a business point of view, which is fair enough. He got a little fee whereas in the summer he knew I would walk for free because my other half needed to be near family.” But then the FA Cup has always looked after Morris.

Scoring against Manchester United, the team he followed as a boy, is a story to tell his grandchildren.

“I was ill for a good few days leading up but in games like that adrenaline gets you through,” he says. “I definitely needed that pick-me-up.

“I probably will (have fond memories) after my career but now it was another game, yeah I scored. The next game is always the biggest.”

His story has taught Morris not to write off what should be a mismatch between the Football League’s top side and the one third from bottom.

“It's just another game of footy you want to win,” insists Morris. “No one will be thinking we're just turning up to get rolled over. Hopefully nine, 10, all 11 can perform to their best and they have a few off-days.

“We had Man United on the ropes, I'd say, for a good 10, 15 minutes and looking back we probably should have done a bit better. Maybe they were in a bit of a sticky patch and you could see and feel why.”

Even in “not just my toughest time in football, but life in general” at Portsmouth, big games found him.

A failed abdominal operation in Germany led to 426 days out. Once fit, the country was in lockdown.

“The injury really got me down,” he admits. “There was a time when I thought I could be done. But Covid came towards the end so it probably helped me to get a little more time.

“When we started again I was in really good form and that's why I started both the (League One) play-off semi-final legs. The captain (Tom Naylor) had not been dropped all season and I played both games.

“We were unfortunate, we went out on penalties. Cam McGeehan missed and I was actually up next. I was looking forward to it.”

All those experiences count for less if you keep them to yourself. An England captain in youth football, Morris has been signed not just to replace the injured Josh Falkingham's footballing qualities but some of his leadership skills too.

“I'm 28 and I'm getting to that stage where you're trying to help those around you,” he says.

“I played every game last season.

“Our league position says we're in a bit of a dogfight but there's a long way to go and we started off really well last weekend.”

Even just pushing Leeds hard would be a great way to follow it up. Morris knows better than most what is possible.