Wes Morgan
Encyclopedia
Westley Nathan "Wes" Morgan (born 21 January 1984) is an English footballer who plays for Nottingham Forest
as a defender
. He has been a regular at centre-back for the club for several years, and is currently the club's longest-serving player.
, Nottinghamshire
, having been rejected by Nottingham Forest
's near neighbours Notts County
at the age of 15, Morgan had contemplated abandoning football as a career option, but then the chance came to join Forest, the team he supported growing up.
Following a series of stellar performances in the youth team the central defender made his debut on 12 August 2003 against Port Vale
at the age of 19, and throughout the 2003–04 season managed to hold down a place in the first team, playing alongside several partners including ex-England international Des Walker
, and Michael Dawson, who also went on to play for the national side.
Over the past five years, Morgan has gone on to become the longest-serving current player at the City Ground
, and has made over 300 appearances for the club in all competitions. In the 2007–08 campaign
, Morgan was a virtual ever-present in defence, as he helped Forest gain automatic promotion finishing second in the league, as Forest were promoted from League One
to the Championship
. His only goal of the season came in a 2–0 victory at Tranmere Rovers
. Morgan helped Forest keep 24 clean sheets in all that season, the record for the league, helping him secure his first honour of his career.
Although this was so, Morgan found it hard to adapt back into the Championship in the early stages of the 2008–09 season, losing the form that had created the backbone of success in the Forest defence throughout the previous season. Following this, came his first red card in over a year, for two bookable offenses against Plymouth Argyle
at Home Park
on 27 September 2008. However as the season progressed further Morgan redeveloped his form from the previous term, culminating in his first goal of the season – a towering header in Forest's 2–0 away win at Southampton
on 20 December. At the end of the 2008–09 season he has made a total of 274 appearances in all competitions, including 255 starts. October 2011 saw Wes Morgan make his 400th appearance for Nottingham Forest against Hull City in a match in which he was also handed the captaincy.
|2002–03
||rowspan="10" valign="center"|Nottingham Forest
||rowspan="2"|First Division
||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|2003–04||32||2||1||0||3||0||36||2
|-
|2004–05||Championship
||43||1||4||0||4||0||51||1
|-
|2005–06||rowspan="3"|League One
||43||2||3||0||1||0||47||2
|-
|2006–07||40||0||5||0||1||0||46||0
|-
|2007–08||42||1||1||0||2||0||45||1
|-
|2008–09||rowspan="4"|Championship
||42||1||2||0||2||0||46||1
|-
|2009–10||46||3||2||0||3||0||51||3
|-
|2010–11
||48||1||2||0||1||0||51||1
|-
|2011–12
||18||1||0||0||3||1||21||2
|-
|2002–03||Kidderminster Harriers
(loan)||Third Division
||5||1||0||0||0||0||5||1
359||13||20||0||20||1||399||14
Individual:
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
as a defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
. He has been a regular at centre-back for the club for several years, and is currently the club's longest-serving player.
Career
Born in NottinghamNottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
, having been rejected by Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
's near neighbours Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
at the age of 15, Morgan had contemplated abandoning football as a career option, but then the chance came to join Forest, the team he supported growing up.
Following a series of stellar performances in the youth team the central defender made his debut on 12 August 2003 against Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
at the age of 19, and throughout the 2003–04 season managed to hold down a place in the first team, playing alongside several partners including ex-England international Des Walker
Des Walker
Desmond Sinclair "Des" Walker is a former England international footballer who is best remembered for his spells with Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday...
, and Michael Dawson, who also went on to play for the national side.
Over the past five years, Morgan has gone on to become the longest-serving current player at the City Ground
City Ground
The City Ground is a football stadium in the West Bridgford area of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, on the banks of the River Trent. It has been home to Nottingham Forest Football Club since 1898, and has a capacity of 30,602 ....
, and has made over 300 appearances for the club in all competitions. In the 2007–08 campaign
The Football League 2007-08
The Football League is contested through three divisions in England and Wales. The divisions are the League Championship, League One and League Two. The winner and the runner up of the League Championship will be automatically promoted to the Premier League and they will be joined by the winner of...
, Morgan was a virtual ever-present in defence, as he helped Forest gain automatic promotion finishing second in the league, as Forest were promoted from League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
to the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
. His only goal of the season came in a 2–0 victory at Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
. Morgan helped Forest keep 24 clean sheets in all that season, the record for the league, helping him secure his first honour of his career.
Although this was so, Morgan found it hard to adapt back into the Championship in the early stages of the 2008–09 season, losing the form that had created the backbone of success in the Forest defence throughout the previous season. Following this, came his first red card in over a year, for two bookable offenses against Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
at Home Park
Home Park
Home Park is an all-seater football stadium in the Central Park area of Plymouth, England, and is the home of Football League Two club Plymouth Argyle. The ground, given the nickname the Theatre of Greens by the club's supporters, has been Argyle's permanent residence since 1901...
on 27 September 2008. However as the season progressed further Morgan redeveloped his form from the previous term, culminating in his first goal of the season – a towering header in Forest's 2–0 away win at Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
on 20 December. At the end of the 2008–09 season he has made a total of 274 appearances in all competitions, including 255 starts. October 2011 saw Wes Morgan make his 400th appearance for Nottingham Forest against Hull City in a match in which he was also handed the captaincy.
Career statistics
|-|2002–03
2002–03 Nottingham Forest F.C. season
During the 2002–03 English football season, Nottingham Forest F.C. competed in the Football League First Division.-Season summary:Nottingham Forest rebounded from last season's disappointment to finish 6th in the First Division, setting up a play-off with third-placed Sheffield United...
||rowspan="10" valign="center"|Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
||rowspan="2"|First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|2003–04||32||2||1||0||3||0||36||2
|-
|2004–05||Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||43||1||4||0||4||0||51||1
|-
|2005–06||rowspan="3"|League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||43||2||3||0||1||0||47||2
|-
|2006–07||40||0||5||0||1||0||46||0
|-
|2007–08||42||1||1||0||2||0||45||1
|-
|2008–09||rowspan="4"|Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||42||1||2||0||2||0||46||1
|-
|2009–10||46||3||2||0||3||0||51||3
|-
|2010–11
2010–11 Nottingham Forest F.C. season
The 2010–11 season was Nottingham Forests third season in the Football League Championship, following promotion from League One in the 2007–08 season after spending three years in the third tier. Forest remained in this division after losing in the 2010 Football League play-offs...
||48||1||2||0||1||0||51||1
|-
|2011–12
2011–12 Nottingham Forest F.C. season
The 2011–12 season will be Nottingham Forest Football Clubs 4th consecutive season in the Championship. Nottingham Forest will seek to gain promotion from the npower Championship and will compete in the FA Cup and the Carling Cup.-Key events:...
||18||1||0||0||3||1||21||2
|-
|2002–03||Kidderminster Harriers
Kidderminster Harriers F.C.
Kidderminster Harriers F.C. are an English football club based in Kidderminster, Worcestershire formed in 1886 They currently play in the Conference National and have played at Aggborough Stadium since they were formed...
(loan)||Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
||5||1||0||0||0||0||5||1
359||13||20||0||20||1||399||14
Honours
Nottingham Forest:- League OneFootball League OneFootball League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
Runner-up : 2007–08
Individual:
- Championship Team of the Year: 2010–11