England defender and life-long Manchester City fan Esme Morgan departed the club in May and has joined National Women’s Soccer League side Washington Spirit
After losing the Women’s Super League title to Chelsea on the final day of the league season, England winger Lauren Hemp knew exactly who she needed to go to.
Manchester City had come agonisingly close to ending Chelsea ’s league dominance, only for a late capitulation to Arsenal in the penultimate match of the season to leave the door open for the Blues, who duly stormed in.
Ex-City defender Esme Morgan, who joined the club at under-15s level, might not have featured in her side’s 2-1 final day victory over Aston Villa – a result that left City level on points with the seven-time league champions but behind on goal difference. But before kick-off, the Lioness was a beacon of positivity despite the odds stacked against Gareth Taylor’s side.
“That morning, she was like, ‘we’re going to win the league today. We’re going to win and this is how we’re going to do it. I’ve just got this feeling,’” Hemp recalls of the 23-year-old, whom she considers one of her best friends.
“Every single game, she’s like that,” Hemp adds. “No matter who we’re playing, no matter where we’re playing. She’s always so positive about everything.
“When we lost the title at the weekend, she was still so positive about everything that we’d achieved and how amazing everyone was,” she says. “And I feel like you need people like that in your life who are just going to be so positive about everything. And whenever I go down, I always look to go to her because I know she’ll pick me up.”
Morgan was one of a number of players who departed City this summer, with the England international joining National Women’s Soccer League side Washington Spirit on a four-year deal this week. The decision followed weeks of speculation concerning Morgan, who has struggled to break into Taylor’s starting XI.
Morgan managed just nine league appearances last term, with Taylor preferring Alex Greenwood, Laia Aleixandri, Alanna Kennedy and Kerstin Casparij preferred instead. The lack of competitive club minutes has seen her also slip down the pecking order at international level.
Upon joining the Spirit, Morgan said the opportunity was just too good to turn down.
Speaking to the club website, Morgan said: “I wanted to join the Spirit because they have the ambition and tools to be the best team in the NWSL, and trying to achieve that will be a great but enjoyable challenge.
“On an individual level too, the opportunity to work under Jonatan [Giráldez], one of the world ’s best coaches, is really exciting and I look forward to learning from him and pushing myself to become the best player I can be, hopefully helping the team to success.”
Morgan’s exit, however, means Taylor’s side will be without the England international’s alacrity in the upcoming season.
While the dearth will be felt, Hemp remains steadfast that next season is City’s for the taking. Last August, if offered to be level on points with Chelsea on the final day of the campaign, “I’d have ripped your hand off”. Now, she’s not so easily satiated.
“In football, there are so many highs that you’re striving towards that you just got to enjoy the process and the journey, to be honest,” she says. “I think that’s a massive lesson for me this season. And what’s different this year from last is that as a team we’ve bounced back so quickly. Whereas, two years ago, we’d lose a game, then lose the next.
“We went into the game at the weekend believing that we could still win the title. We didn’t end up doing that, but you know what? It just strives us on to next season to have more hunger to go on and achieve that. You could turn to anyone in the changing room and know that they’ve got your back. That’s so important. We went through everything together. You see your teammates more than you see your family. We had a special connection that helped us throughout the season.
“We picked ourselves up when we were at our lowest, but we also achieved everything, every success that we had this season and it was done together.”
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