'Why I'm here' - Sam Morsy on Bristol City move, Kuwait spell and 'little brother' Anis Mehmeti | Bristol Live

Bristol City midfielder and ex-Ipswich Town captain Sam Morsy met the media following his January transfer to Ashton Gate

"My mentality every day is just a will to win," Sam Morsy explained when asked what he had brought to Bristol City. Just a matter of weeks into his time at Ashton Gate, the midfielder has impressed fans, teammates, and staff alike to paint a clear picture of just who the Reds have signed.

"To try and improve, try and be better, try to be the best player, try and be the best trainer, and to try and compete. You may never be any of these things, but if you aim high, then you're going to finish higher than you would if you just accept mediocrity."

Aiming high has been a topic of conversation around Gerhard Struber's side for much of the season. Of course, such ambition has been evident on the pitch, but it has also been a consistent talking point during the transfer window, with the City head coach keen to bolster his ranks.

In the days leading into January, the Austrian had been clear that reinforcements at the top end of the pitch were his priority.

It perhaps came as a surprise to some fans then, when on just the second day of 2026, a 34-year-old midfielder - who had been without a club since September - was standing atop the Ashton Gate roof in the shape of Sam Morsy.

Speaking to the media for the first time as a City player, Morsy told Bristol Live, "I think it was maybe late November when I found out about the interest.

"It was exciting," the midfielder added. "Football is more to me than just a week-to-week; I try to commit and dedicate myself to it, and with my analyst, we were looking at teams we thought would suit me stylistically and where I could add and help the team; this was right at the top of the list.

"I think the manager is infectious, all his staff are very enthusiastic and love football. The manager is a real winner, and watching the games and already playing in two games, I can see that it's going to suit me here.

"He has a clear style and identity, which is important," he continued on Struber. "Again, that will to win is really important, and real winners just find a way to win. It's not about playing well every week with inconsistent results; it's about playing well, but also when you don't play well, how do you find a way to win?

"I think he's that guy. He's a great motivator, and I'm really enjoying working with him and his staff. I think we can improve and get better, and one of the first things we spoke about was having a successful season for the club and for myself, and that's what we both want."

On top of his early interactions with Struber and his own team, Morsy took the opportunity to check in with former teammates and friends to try and get a better understanding of the lay of the land in BS3.

Naturally, having played alongside former Robins Wes Burns and Sammie Szmodics at Ipswich Town, the ex-City pair were high on the midfielder's contact list, as was Joe Williams, who the 34-year-old had partnered with during their time together at Wigan Athletic.

The extra seal of approval came from someone that Morsy had never previously played with, but had come across and grown close to earlier in his career; someone who could perhaps offer the most up-to-date assessment of south Bristol: Anis Mehmeti.

"I know Anis very well," the 34-year-old smiled. "He's like my little brother, and I was speaking to him a lot when I was potentially coming in, and he spoke so highly of everybody in the club.

"I think the fans, the players, and all the staff have welcomed me so well, which is always really important."

Asked how his relationship with the winger started, Morsy replied, "It must be about six, seven years maybe longer now. We played against each other and became really good friends over the years.

"He's got a similar mentality to me. He's always looking to push and improve, and he's a great character around the place, and he's having a really good season.

"He got double figures last season, he's close to double figures this season, he's got a number of assists, he's improving his game, he's a great lad, a student of the game, and he's going to keep getting better and better," he added on the Albanian international.

"There's no real ceiling for him; when you've got a mentality of constantly improving, who knows what he can do? But obviously, I've reminded him [that] his full focus this season is here, scoring goals and doing well for us.

"We need him to be the best version of himself because if we do, he's one of, if not the best attacker in the league at the moment, so we need to keep him on top form, keep him humble, and keep him working."

If Morsy's move to Ashton Gate came as a surprise to some in the West Country, it certainly caught the eye of fans elsewhere in the Championship, particularly those in East Anglia of an Ipswich persuasion.

After four years at Portman Road, a spell which saw the midfielder captain the Tractor Boys to back-to-back promotions - first to the Championship and then the Premier League - the Egyptian international called time on his spell under Kieran McKenna last summer, leaving after Ipswich's relegation back to the second tier.

Morsy opted to take his career in a different direction as he made the move to the Middle East with Kuwait SC. While things there didn't work out quite as he or anyone else expected, as he left his new side having made just three appearances, it certainly isn't a decision that has left him with regrets.

On his time in Kuwait, he reflected, "I really enjoyed it, actually. I'm still keeping in touch with a number of people from there, and it was an opportunity that I've always wanted to take, to play in the Middle East and live in a Muslim country.

"It was very different from what I expected, probably a little bit too different, and obviously I've still got a real drive to play at a really competitive level and to do well. That's why I'm back here.

"There were various offers in the Gulf to continue out there, but I just felt as though I've still got something to give to the game, and I still want to achieve special things. It was an amazing experience, it was a beautiful country, the hospitality was amazing, and it ticked so many boxes, so I just see it as a positive. It's ended up [with] me coming here now, so it's funny just how things work. That's life, I guess."

Now, though, with a contract at Ashton Gate until the end of the season, Morsy's focus is very much directed towards the here and now.

Since he arrived in BS3, Struber - and his players for that matter - have been open about their ambition to build on last term's play-off finish and once again push for promotion to the Premier League. Having had a taste of the top six last time around, many within the City changing room have a hunger for more.

Currently, the Robins find themselves 10th in England's second tier, four places but just two points adrift of Watford and the play-off places. With another 20 games to play and therefore 60 more points up for grabs, that gap can disappear into nothingness or be stretched further, in the blink of an eye.

Having taken the jump that City aspire to make in his time at Portman Road, Morsy knows what it takes to win promotion. Even with that experience, however, his focus remains on the short-term, rather than what could be, come May.

"You obviously want to go for the highest thing possible and the highest thing available, but I think the focus is just always improving every week," he said. "I think that's the big thing.

"I think if individually and collectively you're improving every week, then that's when you can go on these good runs. But of course, it's cliche, but it's always just one game at a time, keep improving. Especially for me

"I've come into play, I've come into really impact it, and I've come in to try and give the best version of myself," Morsy continued. "That's why I'm here; if I didn't plan on bringing my best version, I wouldn't waste anyone's time, it wouldn't be worth it.

"I've come in here to do my absolute best, give everything I can, keep improving every week, keep adapting every week, and hopefully be very successful here."

Currently, regardless of what he and his teammates are able to achieve over the course of the next five months, Morsy's time as a Robin will draw to a close at the end of the campaign, with his short-term deal only running until the end of the season.

As is the case with Mehmeti, Zak Vyner, Mark Sykes, and a handful of other members of Struber's squad, however, that doesn't mean there isn't scope for an extension to be agreed upon between now and the summer.

At 34, Morsy knows one-year or six-month arrangements are likely to be a feature of the remainder of his time as a professional, but he is under no illusion of what he'll have to do to ensure he is a City player this time next year, with the door certainly not closed on a longer stay in the West Country.

"I think in the summer I got offered various two-year contracts in Europe, in a lot of Middle Eastern countries, and in this division as well," the midfielder explained. "I think, when you get to 34 and when you get into your 30s, of course, there is a stigma attached to it, but what I will always say is, if you do well, you will get deals.

"That's how it works, but you have to do well, and that's a challenge. It's a challenge I've always been up for, so it's a short-term deal and I just have to do the best I can and play the best I can for the club."

Asked if he'd be open to remaining in BS3 beyond the summer, he replied, "Of course. If I do well, they'll want to extend. If I don't, they'll want to see me out the door."