For Morgan Whittaker, the 2022/23 campaign has been something of a rollercoaster.
He spent the first half of the season on loan with Plymouth Argyle, building on the game-time and experience he got at Lincoln City last term.
The move looked like a masterstroke pretty much from the get-go, with the former Derby County man hitting the ground running at Home Park and things clicking nicely into place.
He quickly became a fan favourite on the south coast and working with boss Steven Schumacher seemed to be working for the young attacker.
With the Pilgrims flying and Whittaker doing well, all looked rosy.
Then, come January, Swansea took the decision to recall the 22-year-old back to south Wales, something which Whittaker revealed recently was hard to take.
“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.”
Whittaker has had to settle for cameo and bit-part roles since his return to SA1; he came back at a difficult point in Swansea’s season when form took a nosedive but the final weeks of the campaign saw a marked upturn in results and performances.
He started two games for Swansea upon his return and made 13 appearances from the bench. By his own admission, Whittaker says he would like to play more and one wonders where his short, medium and long-term future lies.
That’s what makes Schumacher’s recent quotes so interesting. Whittaker made a visit to Home Park to watch his former team - who have sealed the title and a return to the Championship next season - in action late last month.
When asked about his visit, the Argyle boss said: “He didn’t have a game himself on Tuesday night for Swansea. He asked could he come down and watch the game and we got him some tickets. It was great to see him. He has obviously played a huge part in our success this year and helped us get to where we have got to in the league.
“He saw a few of the lads after the game and saw me in the players’ lounge. It was nice to say hello. He enjoyed his time here, we get on really well. He was a brilliant player for us. I think he wanted to just come down and say hello.”
During the game, Whittaker was sat next to Argyle’s head of recruitment Jimmy Dickinson in the directors’ box.
Asked whether the youngster could make a return to Devon in the summer, Schumacher replied: “If we could afford him we would love to sign Morgan Whittaker. He’s a top player, but we would only be in that position if we get to where we want to get to.
“He just came down to say hello, there wasn’t any other ulterior motive in that. It was just good to see him. If we were in the realms of being able to bring him back to the club then we would because we think he could do a job in the Championship in the way we play.
“He has still got a contract with Swansea. I don’t know exactly what happened in January, whether he was going to leave or not to somebody else. I don’t know what anybody else bid. I’m not aware of any of that. I just wanted to say hello to him (on Tuesday). It was good to see him.
“He really enjoyed it here. He has come out and said he wanted to stay here and finish the season off but he wasn’t able to do that. He just wanted to come back and say hello to the lads. That’s literally all it was.”
So Argyle have set their stall out early - what of Rangers? The Scottish giants submitted a number of bids for him in January and our colleagues north of the border report Rangers will again return with interest this summer.
The Daily Record reported yesterday: "Rangers missed out on the winger in January but Record Sport revealed Michael Beale is set to go back in this summer. Was outstanding for Plymouth Argyle in the first half of the season but has dropped down the pecking order after returning to Swansea.
"Whitt's the chances of a Gers switch? This one looks like it could be 50-50 with others interested and the small matter of a fee involved."
Whittaker still has two years left on his Swansea contract, therefore his club would be in a decent bargaining position should they wish to sell. One would think he's set for a summer of reflection.
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