Peterborough United forward is learning on the job and he will keep pushing himself to improve
Peterborough United forward Jimmy-Jay Morgan is determined to add regular goals and assists to his game in the second-half of the League One season.
The 19 year-old Chelsea loanee scored his seventh goal of the season – and his fifth in the league – to set Posh on their way to a 3-1 home win over Bolton Wanderers at the Weston Homes Stadium on Saturday.
Morgan admits he’s learning a new position on the job, but it’s one he believes suits his game. He described it as ‘a right-sided number eight role’ during an interview with the Posh Plus service. Morgan basically serves as a link between deeper midfielders and the forward line, and he scored against Bolton after running clear of the defence onto a Harry Leonard header.
It was a welcome moment for Morgan who had missed the two previous Posh games with a knock.
"I was buzzing to be back,” Morgan said. “It’s painful watching games on TV so it felt really good to be back amongst it. It had been a while since I scored, but Harry and I have built up a partnership after arriving at the club on the same day and he leapt about eight feet in air to head me through. I took the ball in my stride and slotted it which was a great feeling, especially in front of the GH Display stand.
"I love that stand, but I hadn’t scored at that end since the Wycombe game from ages ago so I was determined to get a goal in the first-half. It felt good playing in front of our home fans again. I certainly got a lift from it.
"It’s a new role for me this season. It’s not a position I’d played in before, but I know I have the capability to do it well. If I am to play there though I need to add some numbers. I trust myself to take the ball under pressure and to wriggle out of tight situations.
"I put a lot into the first-half and my energy levels dipped a bit in the second-half so I didn’t get in such good positions. I didn’t play this much last season so my body had been shutting down a bit so a rest was probably just what I needed. I like to play with energy and intensity.
“I feel like my ceiling is a lot higher so I will keep demanding more of myself. I will keep pushing myself.
"We have suffered some big injuries so to keep winning shows what a good squad we have. I watched the game against Lincoln last week and the performance wasn’t bad at all.
"It didn’t knock our confidence as we know what we have in the building.”
Sam Hughes, Jacob Mendy, David Okagbue, Rio Adebisi and Harley Mills are the main players currently missing because of injury.