Leicester's Warrior Captain – Morgan's Foxes Highlights
Morgan was indeed a star player in the Football League, a stalwart for Nottingham Forest, but eyebrows were raised when top-flight-chasing Leicester made their move for the centre-back. Nigel Pearson, then City's manager, had no doubts whatsoever as he sealed what would become a historic deal.
Within six months of his arrival at King Power Stadium, the Nottingham-born defender was made Club captain. He would go on to make 323 appearances for the Foxes, helping them end their 10-year Premier League exile and eventually skippering them to an unthinkable title triumph.
There were forays in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League too, while Morgan's final-ever appearance for Leicester came in the final of the 2021 Emirates FA Cup. It was a day which would end with Wes joining long-term team-mate Kasper Schmeichel in hoisting the famous trophy aloft.
A central figure of Leicester City's greatest-ever era, LCFC.com marks this landmark day by looking back on five of many Wes Morgan highlights...
Winning the Championship – In the big time at last
It took time for the Foxes to build the foundations for promotion, but in 2013/14, the dream finally became a reality. Nigel Pearson was well into his second spell as manager, although after play-off heartbreak at Watford the previous season, there was considerable scepticism about their chances.
Leicester, though, recovered incredibly and would eventually run away with the Championship title – securing a record seventh success in the second tier. Morgan, on the other hand, played all but one of City's league fixture that season. He was the spine of the team in Pearson's preferred starting XI.
After amassing a Club record 102 points throughout the season, aided by a stunning 31 victories, a final-day win over Doncaster Rovers in front of a full house on Filbert Way capped off a fine campaign. As captain, it was Morgan's job to lift the trophy, marking a Premier League return the Blue Army craved.
The Great Escape – A last-ditch dash to safety
It looked as though City's Premier League dream was turning into a nightmare in 2014/15. While the fans had waited so long for top-flight football, so had Morgan and many of his team-mates. The likes of Kasper Schmeichel and Jamie Vardy, too, had never played at the highest level.
With nine fixtures to go, in mid-April, the Foxes were seven points adrift at the basement. They'd been there practically all season. Quite remarkably, however, something changed. Maybe it was a switch to 3-5-2. Perhaps it was luck. Possibly things just clicked. But the players never stopped believing.
Morgan was one of those who'd tell the media that Leicester could still survive. They would go on to win seven of their remaining games, losing only to champions elect Chelsea, while a 0-0 draw with Sunderland at Stadium of Light was the decisive point. Quite probably, it was the greatest escape ever.
Champions of England – The world left stunned
The Blue Army would be forgiven for craving a quiet, uneventful season by the time the 2015/16 campaign got underway. Claudio Ranieri was now in charge at King Power Stadium and the doubters returned. They were sure-fire favourites for relegation. The odds of winning the league were 5,000/1.
What transpired that year, though, would enter football folklore forever. Leicester City became front-page news across the world. Magnificent successes over Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City were backed up by a top-flight consistency which no Foxes side in history had ever been able to muster.
Every single week, the pressure grew, but City just kept on winning. They'd only suffer three defeats all season. Ranieri's Leicester would win the title by a margin of 10 points in the end – with Morgan starting every single game. The look of disbelief on his face when he lifted the iconic trophy says it all.
Scoring in Europe – Leicester shine in the Champions League
At the start of the second decade of the 21st century, Wes Morgan may have worried he would never play Premier League football. In September 2016, however, the Foxes captain led his team-mates out in Bruges as the English title-holders in the UEFA Champions League.
Leicester would go on to secure group-stage victories over Club Brugge, Copenhagen and Porto as they topped their pool in style. It was already a fairy-tale debut in the competition for the Club, but it was about to get even better. One of the greatest nights in their history was just around the corner.
After narrowly losing 2-1 at Sevilla in the last-16, an enormous effort was required in the second leg. Typically, Wes Morgan led by example, prodding his side ahead, before Marc Albrighton capped it off. Wes had gone from the depths of the Football League to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
The final act – FA Cup glory at Wembley
After that glorious Premier League win in 2016, the FA Cup was the one for the Foxes faithful. It had been for many years in truth. No side had been to more finals and never won the cup. At the age of 37, Wes Morgan was on the bench for Brendan Rodgers' men at Wembley Stadium.
Chelsea were the opponents and Thomas Tuchel's Blues would go on to lift the UEFA Champions League. It was an almighty ask for the Foxes to end their wait for FA Cup success. With eight minutes remaining, after Youri Tielemans' stunner had given Leicester a slender lead, Morgan joined the fray.
There were scares, as Kasper Schmeichel produced two magnificent saves to deny Ben Chilwell and Mason Mount. Chilwell also saw a goal disallowed by VAR, but the battling Foxes got over the line. Fittingly, Schmeichel, who had worn the armband for much of the season, shared the honour of lifting the trophy with Wes – the most decorated captain in Leicester City's history.