Leicester City struck serious transfer gold with £1m Nottingham Forest transfer | OneFootball

Leicester City signed centre back Wes Morgan from Nottingham Forest in 2012 for a fee of £1m, which proved to be a huge bargain.

In January 2012, Leicester City secured the services of Wes Morgan from Nottingham Forest.

The fee was believed to be around £1 million, and the acquisition proved to be one of the club's most astute, as Morgan played a pivotal role in Leicester's ascent from the Championship to Premier League champions.

His move from the red side to the blue side of the East Midlands in many ways began the best period in the Foxes' history.

From Forest to Foxes

Morgan's journey began at Nottingham Forest, where he made his debut in August 2003. Over the next decade, he became a stalwart in the Forest defense, amassing 398 appearances and serving as club captain.

His leadership and defensive prowess were instrumental in Forest's promotion from League One in 2008 and their subsequent seasons. In recognition of his performances, Morgan was named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year in 2010/11.

In January 2012, Leicester City, then competing in the Championship, identified Morgan as the ideal candidate to bolster their defence. Manager Nigel Pearson described him as, "As good a defender as there is at this level," highlighting his leadership and reliability.

Wes Morgan's impact at Leicester City

Morgan's impact at Leicester was immediate. He was appointed club captain for the 2012/13 season, a role he would hold throughout his tenure. Under his leadership, the Foxes secured promotion to the Premier League in the 2013/14 season.

The following year, in the 2014/15 season, Morgan captained Leicester in their ‘great escape’ campaign, which saw them stay up after being bottom of the league at Christmas.

In the 2015/16 season, he helped his club achieve one of the biggest shocks in football history, when the Foxes lifted the Premier League title.

Morgan's performances during the title-winning campaign were exceptional.

He played every minute of all 38 matches, becoming one of only three outfield players in Premier League history to achieve such a feat in a title-winning season, alongside Gary Pallister and John Terry. His leadership on and off the pitch was huge in Leicester's success.

Legacy at Leicester

Over the course of his career at Leicester, Morgan made 323 appearances in all competitions.

His contributions were not limited to domestic success.

Morgan also led them to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League in the 2016/17 season, further cementing his legacy as one of the club's all-time greats.

In 2021, Morgan added another significant achievement to his list. He came on as a late substitute in the FA Cup final, helping Leicester secure their first-ever FA Cup victory with a 1–0 win over Chelsea. This victory was particularly poignant, as it marked the end of Morgan's illustrious career at Leicester City.

The era that the Jamaica international was part of was the best in Leicester’s history and the defender was central to much of the success of that time.

In a period defined by bargains such as Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, Morgan’s signing proved to be a shrewd bit of business that represented the good recruitment done during that period.