View source for Willie Morgan

{{short description|Scottish footballer}}
{{Infobox football biography
|           name = Willie Morgan<br /><small>{{nobold|{{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MBE}}}}</small>
|          image = 
|        caption = 
|       fullname = William Alix Morgan
|     birth_date = {{birth date and age|1944|10|2|df=y}}
|    birth_place = [[Troon]],[[South Ayrshire]], Scotland
|       position = [[Midfielder#Winger|Winger]]
|         years1 = 1960–1968 |clubs1 = [[Burnley F.C.|Burnley]]                     |caps1 = 231 |goals1 = 22
|         years2 = 1968–1975 |clubs2 = [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] |caps2 = 236 |goals2 = 25
|         years3 = 1975–1976 |clubs3 = [[Burnley F.C.|Burnley]]                     |caps3 = 16  |goals3 = 1
|         years4 = 1976–1980 |clubs4 = [[Bolton Wanderers F.C.|Bolton Wanderers]]   |caps4 = 154 |goals4 = 10
|         years5 = 1977      |clubs5 = → [[Chicago Sting]] (loan)                   |caps5 = 20  |goals5 = 3
|         years6 = 1978–1980 |clubs6 = → [[Minnesota Kicks]] (loan)                 |caps6 = 65  |goals6 = 4
|         years7 = 1980–1981 |clubs7 = [[Blackpool F.C.|Blackpool]]                 |caps7 = 41  |goals7 = 1
|      totalcaps = 681 |totalgoals = 59
| nationalyears1 = 1967–1974 |nationalteam1 = [[Scotland national football team|Scotland]] |nationalcaps1 = 26 |nationalgoals1 = 4
}}
'''William Alix "Willie" Morgan''' [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]] (born 2 October 1944) is a Scottish former professional [[association football|footballer]].

==Club career==
A winger, Morgan started his career with [[Burnley F.C.|Burnley]], making his first-team debut against [[Sheffield Wednesday F.C.|Sheffield Wednesday]] at [[Hillsborough Stadium|Hillsborough]] in 1963. He took over from [[John Connelly (footballer, born 1938)|John Connelly]] who was transferred to Manchester United and scored his first Burnley goal, when he scored twice in a Boxing Day demolition of Manchester United in a 6–1 win at [[Turf Moor]].

He made his [[Scotland national football team|Scotland]] debut against [[Northern Ireland national football team|Northern Ireland]] at [[Belfast]]'s [[Windsor Park]] in 1967.

He was transferred to [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] early in the 1968/9 League season, after Utd's John Aston had broken a leg. He scored 34 goals for United and led them to promotion in 1975 after one season in the Second Division. He played in the World Cup Finals of 1974, which took place in West Germany.

With [[Steve Coppell]]'s signing in 1975, Morgan lost his place in the Manchester United team and returned to Burnley. His second spell at [[Turf Moor]] lasted less than a year. He moved to [[Bolton Wanderers F.C.|Bolton Wanderers]], enjoying a successful spell at [[Burnden Park]] before finishing his career at [[Blackpool F.C.|Blackpool]].

Morgan played summers on loan in the [[North American Soccer League (1968–84)|North American Soccer League]] in the late 1970s, playing for the [[Chicago Sting]] in 1977 and [[Minnesota Kicks]] the following three summers.<ref>[http://www.nasljerseys.com/Players/M/Morgan.Willie.htm NASL Player Profile&nbsp;– Willie Morgan]</ref>

During his time at Manchester United, the band Tristar Airbus, a pseudonym for the future members of [[10cc]], recorded the song "Willie Morgan" in tribute to the footballer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.footballandmusic.co.uk/willie-the-wingman/|title = Willie the Wingman &#124; Football and Music|date = 30 September 2009}}</ref><ref>{{YouTube|Qe5sRFOpKf4}}</ref> It would later appear on the compilation ''[[Strawberry Bubblegum: A Collection of Pre-10CC Strawberry Studio Recordings 1969–1972]]''.

==International career==
Morgan won 26 caps for [[Scotland national football team|Scotland]], and was selected for their [[1974 FIFA World Cup|1974 World Cup]] squad. His cap tally was increased from 21 to 26 and goal tally from 1 to 4 following a decision by the [[Scottish Football Association]] in October 2021 to reclassify some tour matches in 1967 as full internationals.<ref name = "1967 reclassified">{{cite web |url=https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/news/former-scotland-players-to-be-recognised-with-international-caps-including-sir-alex-ferguson/?rid=14258 |title=Former Scotland players to be recognised with international caps including Sir Alex Ferguson |website=www.scottishfa.co.uk |publisher=Scottish Football Association |date=9 October 2021 |accessdate=10 October 2021}}</ref>

==Personal life==
After retiring, Morgan was involved in charity work, including for the [[NSPCC]]. In the [[2023 Birthday Honours]], he was appointed [[Member of the Order of the British Empire]] (MBE) for services to charity.<ref>{{londongazette|issue=64082|supp=y|page=B22|date=17 June 2023}}</ref>

==Career statistics==

===International goals===
{| class="wikitable"
! # !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition
|-
| 1 || 16 May 1967 || [[Ramat Gan Stadium]], [[Ramat Gan]] || {{fb|ISR}} || 1–2 || Win || [[Friendly match]]
|-
| 2 || 31 May 1967 || [[Norwood Oval]], [[Adelaide]]  || {{fb|AUS}} || 1–2 || Win || [[Friendly match]]
|-
| 3 || 13 June 1967 || Alexander Park, [[Winnipeg]] || {{fbu|23|CAN|name=Canada Olympic team}} || 2–7 || Win || [[Friendly match]]{{efn|Some reports assign a second goal to Morgan, elsewhere credited to [[Joe Harper]].<ref name="67tourAM23">[https://www.scottishsporthistory.com/sports-history-news-and-blog/did-joe-harper-really-score-five-the-conundrum-of-scotlands-1967-world-tour Did Joe Harper really score five? The conundrum of Scotland's 1967 World Tour], Andy Mitchell Scottish Sport History, 7 February 2023</ref>}}
|-
| 4 || 18 October 1972 || [[Parken Stadium]], [[Copenhagen]], [[Denmark]] || {{fb|DEN}} || 1–4 || Win || [[1974 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)|1974 World Cup qualifier]]
|-
| colspan="12"|<small>''Correct as of 10 October 2021''<ref>[http://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=14357 Football PLAYER: William Morgan]</ref><ref name = "1967 reclassified"/></small>
|-
|}
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{S-start}}
{{S-sports}}
{{succession box
| before= [[George Graham (footballer, born 1944)|George Graham]]
| title=[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] captain
| years=1974-1975
| after=[[Martin Buchan]]
}}
{{S-end}}
{{1977 NASL All-Stars}}
{{Scotland squad 1974 FIFA World Cup}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morgan, Willie}}
[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Scottish men's footballers]]
[[Category:Scotland men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Burnley F.C. players]]
[[Category:Manchester United F.C. players]]
[[Category:Bolton Wanderers F.C. players]]
[[Category:Blackpool F.C. players]]
[[Category:1974 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players]]
[[Category:Chicago Sting (NASL) players]]
[[Category:Minnesota Kicks players]]
[[Category:English Football League players]]
[[Category:Scotland men's under-23 international footballers]]
[[Category:Scottish expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States]]
[[Category:Men's association football wingers]]
[[Category:Scottish expatriate sportspeople in the United States]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire]]