AS HE sat on the bench at the Niedersachsenstadion, the thought of Ken Beattie and Morpeth Town may well have crossed the mind of the man wearing number 22.
Callum Morris sat and witnessed an elite level Germany team defeat his beloved Northern Ireland side 2-0 back in October 2016.
Although the result may have been deflating – Julian Draxler and Sami Khedira scoring the goals – the experience in Hanover will have had his head spinning.
Did he think he’d get to this point? Could he remember when he was turning out at Craik Park? The transition from playing in front of hundreds to thousands is complete.
The defender, now at Dunfermline Athletic, has many fond memories of his time spent at Morpeth, where he joined as a centre-back struggling to find his way in the professional game.
“I had just finished a spell at the Glenn Hoddle academy and found myself fed up of trials and trekking all over globe trying to find a way back into full time football,” Morris told The Highwaymen in an exclusive interview.
“I decided to find a team where I could enjoy just playing football again.
“So I got a friend (Mick Jeffles) to put my name about the Northern league.
“I had a load of calls from managers but I knew Nick (Gray) as he’d managed loads of my mates at Whitley Bay and I felt Morpeth was a nice club where I could just get the love for football back.”
Morris, who been on the books at Newcastle, went on trial at Leeds United before joining Jerez Industrial in Spain after a stint at the Glenn Hoddle Academy. Financial difficulties saw that stint turn sour but it did secure a move to Hayes and Yeading.
“I wasn’t getting anything out of it and my love for the game began to diminish as all the sacrifices just weren’t worth it,” said Morris in an excellent interview with Jordan Burt as Hayes took block loads of trialists on a regular basis.
“We were getting beat every week as well; that is when I went home and said enough is enough.”
A failed trial at Hull City compounded the misery so the former Blyth Spartan decided to get a job and play non-league. Enter Ken Beattie.
The Morpeth chairman insisted he not give up on his dream of playing professionally and set about making it happen, while providing financial stability in the form of a job.
“It was Ken Beattie who sorted it all out!” continued Morris.
“He was the main catalyst behind me getting back into pro football.
“I don’t think there was a particular moment but I do remember a conversation with Ken where he talked me into going up to Dunfermline on trial which obviously kick-started everything again.
“I think he knew deep down I hadn’t given up on my dream but that I probably needed a boost and someone to help me back on to the right path.
“I owe a lot to Ken and what I achieve on the pitch is a way of repaying him for what he did for me.
“Most importantly I’ve made a friend for life.”
That path included training camps in Portugal and Greece, organised by Beattie, in an effort to kick-start his career.
Then came the moment.
As Beattie recalled in an earlier edition of The Highwaymen, Morris was given a trial at Scottish side Dunfermline.
“We were active in getting him a trial under Jim Jeffries,” added the Morpeth chairman.
“He was outstanding in the behind closed doors game against Livingston and signed for them.”
The rest, they say, is history. 54 league appearances for the Pars followed before moves to Dundee United, Aberdeen and back to East End Park where he currently adorns the captain’s armband.
It is an incredible story which Town played a major role in.
So where does the next chapter take Morris?
“I still have a lot I want to achieve within football and all of those things in my eyes are more that possible,” concluded the 27-year-old.
“I want to gain a full international cap, play in the top tiers in England and also experience playing abroad and, finally, to win a major honour.”
After a road such as his, the sheer desire to achieve is one that will hopefully deliver.