Swansea City striker Morgan Whittaker says it “was not easy” leaving Plymouth Argyle to return to south Wales.
Whittaker spent the first half of this season on loan with the Home Park outfit, making a huge impact in their quest for promotion and earning fan favourite status almost immediately.
He was playing regularly and was in form, notching up nine goals with the League One club before the turn of the year. Come January though, Swansea took the decision to recall the Derby County product, a decision which, understandably, left the youngster vexed. He revealed his disappointment in a social media post which spelt out his feelings on the matter.
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It looked like Swansea would look to cash in on the attacker to perhaps reinvest the money in their squad, but in the end neither of those things happened. Rangers showed interest in Whittaker but a deal could not be struck despite a number of bids arriving in Swansea's inbox. Since then, to his credit, Whittaker has knuckled down in SA1, but perhaps not getting the minutes he would have liked to.
In an interview with the club programme, Whittaker revealed the human toll moving back to Swansea took on him and his family. “I enjoyed my time at Plymouth, I feel like it was a good loan spell for me,” he said. “I was a key part of the team and doing well there, and I took a lot of confidence from that.
“It was not easy to come back in January because the team were challenging for promotion and things were going well.
“There’s also a human side to it because your life off the field changes so much very quickly.
“You move house, it has an impact on family life, and it is something that takes time to adjust to and it’s probably a part of it that people do not see.
“But I have really been welcomed back by the coaching staff and all the lads in the squad, and I have had the opportunity to play, although of course you always want to play more.
“If someone had told me at the start of the season that my loan spell would go well and I would come back to Swansea to be a big part of the squad and to play, then I would have taken that every day of the week.
“So, on the whole, I think it has been positive season for me. It has been good being back in Swansea, from the time I joined I have liked being here and it has been nice to have a bigger part to play.”
The 22-year-old has mainly been limited to cameos so far since his return to Landore, starting in just two games. He was named on the bench against Huddersfield Town this weekend and came on just after the hour mark. He said his spell with the Pilgrims improved him as a player and increased his confidence.
“I like to think so, as you say the spell at Plymouth was a positive one for me, as was the time at Lincoln last season,” he added.
“I knew there was stuff I needed to go away and work on if I wanted to play more at Swansea, and those loan spells gave me an opportunity to do that, and I think they have helped me get the chances I have had over this part of the season.
“I think that time has benefited me, and the gaffer thinks the same because I have come back and had the opportunity to start games and play.
“Lincoln last season was more of a case of battling to avoid relegation while at Plymouth we were pushing for promotion near the top of the league.
“Those were different experiences for me, and those are all valuable experiences for me because you are going through the two extremes that the game offers.
“Being in those situations brings pressure, and as a young player you have to be able to handle that. The aim has been to come back to Swansea and play in the Championship and I have been able to do that.”
He was operating as a number 10 under Steven Schumacher on the south coast, a position Whittaker previous revealed he feels most at home in.
Asked where he sees himself, he offered up a manager’s dream response - he’ll play wherever he’s asked to. And as for the future, it's all about taking the opportunities when they come, he says. It's clear he wants more.
“It is a case of playing to the best of your ability wherever you are asked to play," he said. "I can play in all of those positions you mentioned and I enjoy playing in all of them.
“The main thing for me is to make sure I perform as well as I can every time I am out on the field.
“The mood is really good. The togetherness of this team is massive and it has been a really big part in how things have gone these last few weeks.
“We are on a good run of results, performances have been good. I am working hard and I’ll be ready for any opportunity I get.
"The focus for me and the team is on these next five games and making sure we finish the season strongly and push on with this run we are on. It’s down to me to make the most of the opportunities I get and look to round the campaign off on a good note.”
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