| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William Alix Morgan | ||
| Date of birth | (1944-10-02)2 October 1944 (age 80) | ||
| Place of birth | Troon,South Ayrshire, Scotland | ||
| Position(s) | Winger | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1960–1968 | Burnley | 231 | (22) |
| 1968–1975 | Manchester United | 236 | (25) |
| 1975–1976 | Burnley | 16 | (1) |
| 1976–1980 | Bolton Wanderers | 154 | (10) |
| 1977 | →Chicago Sting (loan) | 20 | (3) |
| 1978–1980 | →Minnesota Kicks (loan) | 65 | (4) |
| 1980–1981 | Blackpool | 41 | (1) |
| Total | 681 | (59) | |
| International career | |||
| 1967–1974 | Scotland | 26 | (4) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
William Alix "Willie" MorganMBE (born 2 October 1944) is a Scottish former professionalfootballer.
A winger, Morgan started his career withBurnley, making his first-team debut againstSheffield Wednesday atHillsborough in 1963. He took over fromJohn 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 atTurf Moor.
He made hisScotland debut againstNorthern Ireland atBelfast'sWindsor Park in 1967.
He was transferred toManchester 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.
WithSteve Coppell's signing in 1975, Morgan lost his place in the Manchester United team and returned to Burnley. His second spell atTurf Moor lasted less than a year. He moved toBolton Wanderers, enjoying a successful spell atBurnden Park before finishing his career atBlackpool.
Morgan played summers on loan in theNorth American Soccer League in the late 1970s, playing for theChicago Sting in 1977 andMinnesota Kicks the following three summers.[1]
During his time at Manchester United, the band Tristar Airbus, a pseudonym for the future members of10cc, recorded the song "Willie Morgan" in tribute to the footballer.[2][3] It would later appear on the compilationStrawberry Bubblegum: A Collection of Pre-10CC Strawberry Studio Recordings 1969–1972.
Morgan won 26 caps forScotland, and was selected for their1974 World Cup squad. His cap tally was increased from 21 to 26 and goal tally from 1 to 4 following a decision by theScottish Football Association in October 2021 to reclassify some tour matches in 1967 as full internationals.[4]
After retiring, Morgan was involved in charity work, including for theNSPCC. In the2023 Birthday Honours, he was appointedMember of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to charity.[5]
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 May 1967 | Ramat Gan Stadium,Ramat Gan |  Israel | 1–2 | Win | Friendly match | |||||
| 2 | 31 May 1967 | Norwood Oval,Adelaide |  Australia | 1–2 | Win | Friendly match | |||||
| 3 | 13 June 1967 | Alexander Park,Winnipeg |  Canada Olympic team | 2–7 | Win | Friendly match[a] | |||||
| 4 | 18 October 1972 | Parken Stadium,Copenhagen,Denmark |  Denmark | 1–4 | Win | 1974 World Cup qualifier | |||||
| Correct as of 10 October 2021[7][4] | |||||||||||
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Manchester United captain 1974-1975 | Succeeded by |
 | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
