By Graeme Dey

ST JOHNSTONE manager Derek McInnes is contemplating throwing Jody Morris into the Tayside derby fray tomorrow after signing the former Chelsea and England Under 21 international until the end of the season.

Morris (29) has been without a club since being released by Millwall at the end of last term.

But with Liam Craig suspended, Greg Cameron ruled out by a hamstring tear and Rocco Quinn getting treatment for an ankle problem, McInnes is short in midfield and therefore considering Morris for a rapid fire debut.

“I possibly would involve Jody against Dundee,” he said.

“He’s a naturally fit boy who just needs match sharpness and it could be we just need to play him in order that he gets that.”

McInnes, who played with Morris at Millwall, is inclined to believe the reputation for getting into trouble, which Morris acquired in England, is unrepresentative of his actual character.

And it is a fact that, despite being the subject of more serious allegations, Morris has only ever been convicted over motoring offences.

“I realise that the first thing people think when they hear the name Jody Morris is trouble.

“But you can only take people as you find them and for me he has been the complete opposite of that.

“He has impressed me in everything he’s done and maybe he just needs a wee break to get back into the game.

“We’ve nothing to lose with this.

“If it was down to money Jody wouldn’t be here. He just wants a way back into football.

“And once he gets his match fitness there’s no doubt he’ll show his quality.

“I worked with him at Millwall and watched him come back from his injury (cruciate ligament). He did nothing but impress me on and off the training pitch.

“I know what he can bring to St Johnstone. And he has already demonstrated his commitment to us.

“His wife is due to give birth next month but he hasn’t asked for any time off.

“I told him to take Mondays off so he could have a couple of days back south after playing at the weekend.

“But he turned that offer down saying he’s serious about what he’s about here.”

Morris insists he still has the ability to play at the grade he once did and yesterday he admitted he had blundered in walking away from Chelsea in 2003.

“I feel I can play at the top level, no doubt about that,” he said.

“I finished the season last year training with Chelsea and wasn’t out of place and when I went to Charlton for pre- season and they still had most of their Premiership players I more than held my own, so I’m confident I can still compete with that standard of player.

“The way my career has panned out since I left Chelsea has been a letdown.

“I’ve made mistakes and poor choices and I know I’ve suffered because of them.

“When I left Chelsea I was the longest-serving player and they had offered me a five-year contract to stay.

“But I rejected it and one bad decision can change the course of your life.

“I was a Chelsea boy and it was a massive decision to leave but I’d had enough of being the third midfielder.

“It was always Di Matteo, Wise then me and then it was Deschamps, Wise then me and after that it was Lampard, Petit and me—I was always the third one on the list.

“I remember playing when Petit was out injured and we went on a great run but he was brought straight back into the team once he was fit again, even though we’d won six or seven games.

“I remember how bad that made me feel.

“These days I appreciate that if I was the manager I probably would’ve done the same. But at that time I thought differently and reacted to it.

“I thought I had a move to Blackburn lined up because Graeme Souness said he wanted me to sign for them and we’d even shaken hands on it—but for some reason it fell through and between my agent, Souness and the chief executive of Blackburn; I still can’t tell you what happened.

“I’d told Chelsea I was leaving by this time and they had announced it so there was no going back.

“A week after they made it public I knew I had made a mistake and should’ve stayed but it was done by then.

“I went to Leeds and joined Peter Reid, who was a great guy to work for and is one of the best men in the game, but things didn’t work out there.”

Morris left Leeds after making just 12 appearances, moving on to Rotherham and then Millwall, who released him last summer.

“It took me a while to get used to playing with players of lesser ability and I needed to adjust my game to that,” he admitted.

“I appreciated how good the Chelsea players were at the time and I was in awe of them but it wasn’t until I wasn’t there any more that I realised how good they actually were.

“Going to Leeds wasn’t as much of an adjustment, because they had players like Mark Viduka and Alan Smith, but when I ended up in the Championship it was a different culture altogether. But part of the reason I had slipped down a level was that I wasn’t performing and I have accepted that.’’

Morris revealed how he leapt at the invitation to link up with McInnes again.

“I’ve kept in touch with the gaffer since he moved back up from Millwall and we’ve been talking quite a bit lately.

“We had a chat about my situation recently and I said to him that I was sick of sitting about waiting for people to get back to me.

“He just asked me if I fancied coming to St Johnstone with him and I jumped at the chance.

“This is a opportunity for me to get myself fit, go in the shop window and also help Del and the team here out.

“I’ve got a massive amount of respect for him, he’s been a good friend, and I like the way he thinks about the game.

“We talked a lot when we were at Millwall and I agree with his philosophy on the game—he wants to play the ball on the ground and I’m sure it will suit me.

“It’s great to be involved in a club day-to-day again, to be in among players again and to have a Saturday to look forward to.

“My wife Louise is expecting our second child next month but I’m going to stay up here as long as possible.

“I’ll need to make sure my phone is on all the time because I don’t want to miss the birth of my kid, but London is not that far away and I can get back quickly.

“What’s going on at home won’t distract me, I’m here to play football and am committed to this.

“Once the baby is born I’ll be right back up because I’m just desperate to play as many games as I can.

“I don’t know what the future holds beyond the summer. Right now I’m here to train and play with St Johnstone and we’ll see what happens after that.

“I’ve played a couple of games lately for Yeovil in their reserve side, just to get myself a bit fitter, so if the gaffer decides he wants me to play against Dundee I’m ready and up for it.”

Saints look like being down to the bare bones tomorrow.

But even that’s a healthier situation than looked like being the case at the beginning of the week, when no fewer than 10 first-team players were laid low.

In addition to long-term absentees Martin Hardie and Andy Lawrie, McInnes has Steven Anderson banned, Stuart McCaffrey injured and Kevin James sidelined because he is struggling with flu.

But some others have recovered or have a chance of recovering in time from knocks.

“Earlier in the week we had Kevin Rutkiewicz, Goran Stanic, Steven Milne and Peter MacDonald missing training, but they should now be okay,” said the manager.

“Rocco Quinn turned his ankle in training and we had to send him for an x-ray.

“But he did the same thing during his first spell here and recovered quickly so we think he should be all right.

“And although Daniel McBreen hasn’t managed to train at all this week we are still hoping to involve him.”

Saints have not, at least as yet, followed up an initial inquiry over the availability of Inverness winger Barry Wilson.

Meanwhile, Dougie McDonald will referee the Perth men’s Scottish Cup quarter-final against St Mirren a week tomorrow.