Esme Morgan: A stand-out for club and country | OneFootball

Esme Morgan is a 23-year-old defender for the WSL’s Manchester City and England’s senior national team. Her growth on the pitch after making it into the Lionesses World Cup squad earlier this year has been fantastic.

The promising defender

Esme’s immense progress over the last few months is stark. Her confidence in making challenges against world-class opposition highlights Morgan’s commitment to her role.

The Lionesses had their Olympic dreams cut short by a late Netherlands goal against Belgium on December 5, despite having made an impressive comeback against the Dutch side just four days earlier. The disappointing end to the recent international break — and England’s time in the UEFA Women’s Nations League — left the football world with much to discuss.

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Morgan’s role in England’s small-margin win at Wembley showcased her intuitive nature as a versatile defender. The super-sub was largely to thank for Sarina Wiegman’s side maintaining their hard-fought lead, resulting in their narrow win over the ever-competitive Netherlands.

The up-and-coming right-back, though still young, has a wealth of experience under her belt already. She demonstrates this through the way she reads games from the backline and takes initiative, knowing when to take the initiative to press forward or track back based on the movements of her opposition. Morgan’s extensive improvements and style of play make her incredibly valuable to any defensive line.

Stats

Even in games that have ended in a loss for Man City, Morgan’s statistics prove her place as an asset to the squad. She has played a substantial amount of minutes for the Sky Blues so far this season in the WSL, and the right-back has made the most of her playing time, ensuring that England’s head coach could not overlook her when it came to the return of international football.

The 2022/23 season saw Morgan make 14 clearances for City. So far, in the 2023/24 season, she has already made 13. She has also had three shots throughout the five league games she has played up until now, two of which were on target. This illustrates how Morgan’s role with City is evolving.

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Whilst her primary position is right-back, Morgan has also played on the left and in the middle for Gareth Taylor’s side and the national team. The numbers show that her involvement in the game, in terms of the number of tackles made, is most prominent when she assumes her natural role on the right.

Even in matches that have ended in losses for the Manchester team, Morgan has made an impact. In their 0-1 loss to Brighton in November, for example, the player’s pass completion rate sat at 92%, and she successfully completed 92% of her passes.

This game also saw the defender make 14 progressive passes. Data like this highlights the part Morgan plays not only in defending against tough opposition but also in moving the ball forward and creating chances for her team to launch their counter-attack.

Looking ahead

Morgan’s strong start to Manchester City’s ongoing WSL campaign and her contributions to England’s recent international performances present an encouraging display of maturity from a footballer with a bright future ahead of her. She quietly goes about her job, making a difference when it matters most, and will only develop her skills further as she earns more playing time for both club and country.

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