Chris Morgan: biography

Chris Morgan is an English footballer. A center half, he has played the majority of his career in the divisions of the Football League. Morgan is the current captain of Sheffield United, the club he joined in 2003 from hometown side Barnsley. He has something of a mean reputation on the pitch.

Beginnings

Born on 9 November 1977 in the Yorkshire town of Barnsley, Christopher Paul Morgan was involved with small youth set-ups in the area including the Holyland Common Falcons before joining his hometown club. His initial involvement in the first team came in the season Barnsley gained promotion to the Premier League.

Career

Barnsley
The 1997-98 campaign was a difficult one for the Tykes who were immediately relegated out of the top flight. Barnsley tried to get back to the big time and came close in 2000 when they reached the playoff final after finishing fourth in the Division One table. Morgan suffered heartbreak at Wembley as his side took the lead early on, but lost out to Ipswich 4-2. After another mid-table finish in 2001 Chris also suffered relegation to Division Two with his hometown side. The Tykes failed to mount a challenge to push back into the second tier and in the summer of 2003 Morgan signed on a free transfer for Neil Warnock’s Sheffield United.
Sheffield United
Part of the side that gained promotion to the Premier League in 2005-06 again the top flight turned out to be a step too far for Morgan and United were relegated. Before Warnock resigned he had installed him as the captain at Bramall Lane, a position he holds to this day. To date he has been sent off six times for the Blades. Iain Hume suffered a fractured skull thanks to a Chris Morgan elbow on 8 November 2008 when United met his old club Barnsley. The injury was very severe indeed leaving the striker in intensive care for two days.
This incident and others have led to question marks about Chris’s old-fashioned playing style. After three top half finishes, Sheffield United currently sit rock bottom of the Championship and should they be relegated to League One, Morgan will be one of the few footballers who has gone from the second tier up to the top flight, back down and then even lower to the third level with two different clubs. He has missed the majority of the 2010-11 season with a cruciate knee ligament injury.

Achievements

Chris has never played for England. His major club honours are two promotions from Division One/the Championship to the Premier League as well as being voted Sheffield United’s player of the year in 2004.