Leicester City In 100 Players: Holly Morgan
In her 17 years playing for the Foxes, Morgan was an integral part of the Club as it progressed from grassroots football to the top tier of the professional game.
She joined City’s women – before they became professional – at the age of 11 after a trial at the Centre of Excellence. She moved through the age groups to become a stalwart in defence and captain. Holly played a pivotal role within the Academy set-up and she also graduated from the University of Leicester with a Bachelor of Law degree in 2015, qualifying as a solicitor. Since Holly’s debut senior outing in the 2009/10 season, she went on to make 294 appearances in all competitions, scoring 12 goals.
She was a key member of the teams which won the FA Women’s Midland Division 1 in 2014 and the FA Northern Division title in 2018. She was still a major player and captain two years later when the team became an integral part of Leicester City Football Club. At this point, the players became full-time professionals, with the Foxes being awarded a license to play in the Barclays Women’s Championship in the 2020/21 season.
During that first season in the Championship, LCFC Women gained 50 points out of 60, won 12 consecutive games, and secured promotion to the Women’s Super League by winning the second-tier title. Unfortunately, Holly was injured for much of that campaign, but as an experienced leader, she was an authoritative figure in the dressing room throughout the season.
Holly retired from playing in 2021. As a defender, she was always looking for the ball and always keen to make a challenge, although she never received a red card. As a captain, she was a strong, supportive personality who was highly respected. She was an effective communicator and an inspirational figure for younger players emerging through the Academy.
She then became First Team Coach for a period of time, having acquired her UEFA A License, before she set up her own Sports Agency, called Morgan Sport Management, which aims to provide a ‘fresh perspective to managing professional athletes’. As a footnote, in 2022, Holly was also a finalist in the Channel 4 series ‘Make Me Prime Minister’ hosted by Alastair Campbell and Baroness Warsi.