Seeing game through Bradford City fans' eyes drives on Filipe Morais

However, almost eight months on from that dreadful moment when he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament, the Portuguese-born winger is itching for a return.

Morais had been pencilled in for a first outing with the reserves at Valley Parade this afternoon, but a slight strain in his shoulder has put paid to that plan.

Nevertheless, the 30-year-old maintains the belief that he can still make a big impact for the Bantams in their quest to reach the Championship after admitting one simple thought kept him going during the long months of rehabilitation.

“I kept the play-off final in mind,” said Morais, such an instrumental figure in City’s run to the FA Cup quarter-finals last term.

“That has been my drive throughout, that I could still play a part, and give something back to the club.”

Morais’s bad break came after a summer where he had worked so hard to get into peak condition. After being hampered by a knee problem during the run-in last season, he had spent most of the close season running.

The upshot was Morais being the lightest he had ever been when reporting back for training. Then, though, came the injury.

“It has been a long, long road,” he said. “I have had to be strong mentally. But now there is light at the end of the tunnel.”

Unlike most footballers facing a long-term lay-off, Morais was determined to watch as many games as possible. He has seen every City match at Valley Parade plus plenty on the road.

And when Bradford have been so far away that it was impossible to get there after finishing his rehab training on a Saturday morning, the 30-year-old has taken in a game elsewhere in the north.

“I wanted to still be part of things. Plus, we have a lot of new players and I wanted to see how they play, what they do,” he said.

“You need to know what your team-mate is going to do on the pitch if I was going to come back.

“I do feel I know the new players, even though I haven’t played with them yet. I am excited to play with a lot of them.”

Among the City away games Morais has attended as a fan was Bury, where his presence yielded one of the biggest cheers of the day from the club’s supporters.

“I was overwhelmed by the reaction,” he said. “A few fans spotted me as I arrived and then there was this big clap. I can’t thank the fans enough for that.

“Everyone was asking, ‘When are you back, Felipe?’ You’d think I would be forgotten but that is not the case. The fans willing me on like that has pushed me through the lonely days, when it is just me and the bike or cross trainer or weights.

“Being in with the fans has given me a different insight. You see games through their eyes and how much they enjoy things. As a player, you are in a bubble – train, play, train. So, this has been different. It has made me, overall, a better person and, hopefully, a better player once back.”

As for his hopes for the rest of the season, Morais added: “I want to play. I don’t see it as just an achievement to be back early. I am so focused on getting in the team and getting in the play-offs.

“You have to be ambitious, or what have I worked so hard for over the past six or seven months? I don’t want it all to go to waste. I feel so hungry. I have the energy and really feel I can help us at this business end of the season.”