Jack Heath had the pleasure of sitting down with Morgan Williams, an upcoming star for League Two AFC Wimbledon. Williams has been with The Dons since the age of 5, making his first professional start in the EFL Cup at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea and has worked his way through the youth setup all the way to the senior team. Jack and Williams discussed pre-season, making his full debut, the difficulties of professional football and Williams' personal life. At 19 years old, the attacking midfielder will be looking to break into the starting XI this year, with many tipping him for a breakout season in the 24/25 campaign.
El Chumbazo would like to say thank you to Morgan for taking the time out of his busy pre-season schedule to talk to us. We wish him all the best for the new season and look forward to seeing him get more regular playing time at AFC Wimbledon.
You can follow Morgan here:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/morganwilliams04_/
X (Twitter) - https://x.com/morgs10_?lang=en-GB
You can listen to the interview by clicking on the YouTube video below, including time stamps. Alternatively, you can read the transcription attached.
Time Stamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:39 - Pre-season thoughts
01:43 - First professional start against Chelsea
04:21 - Future planning at AFC Wimbledon
07:39 - Learning from loans: Experience playing away from AFC Wimbledon
10:15 - The difficulties of National League football, focusing on Woking
12:25 - Progressing from youth to senior: Wales and international football
14:43 - Adapting to new managers and tactics, chopping and changing
18:50 - Describing Williams' play style
20:51 - The importance of family: Morgan to the Williams
29:09 - Outro
Transcript:
(Jack) Hi everyone, Jack Heath reporting for El Chumbazo, bringing you football content both in Spanish and in English. Today, I managed to speak with Morgan Williams, a rising star in the AFC Wimbledon setup who currently play their football in League Two. Morgan is a Wales Youth International as well as a current senior player for AFC Wimbledon, most notably making his professional debut for the side when he played Chelsea in the EFL Cup in the last season. Today, I managed to speak with Morgan regarding his current career, future prospects, and also discussing his personal life.
(Jack) So coming into the 24/25 season, firstly, you played in the pre-season match against Peterborough 1-0 featuring a nice half of football and, obviously, Peterborough, solid team last season, finished fourth in League One. Unfortunately, they did not get up to the next tier of football. But, how are you feeling? What are your aspirations and objectives both for the team and individually? I appreciate last season Wimbledon finished quite solidly, 10th place, but there's lots of room for progression as well.
(Morgan) Yeah, I think the boys have obviously started pre-season well, and we've got high aspirations this year to finish in the playoffs and to push like we did last year. We've got a lot of good players around the group; a good mix of experience and a good mix of youth. So, it's a good team to be involved in. For myself, I obviously want to just play as much football as I can with the team, get as many games in as I can, keep learning and then see where the season takes us. But if the team's doing well, then hopefully I can be a good part of that; and then the end goal being promotion is hopefully achievable.
(Jack) So, I'm eager to discuss the experience of playing at Stamford Bridge, one of the most iconic stadiums in world football. So, that was your first professional start for Wimbledon. During the game, insane stats. We're talking 70% pass completion rate against a high-pressing Pochettino Chelsea side. Two blocks, two clearances. Also, didn't lose possession as well. So, I mean, at the time you were 18, which is ridiculous. I mean, I was still in school or first year university at that point. And the gaffer, Johnny Jackson, he described your performance as "outstanding". So, first of all with not losing possession, does it kind of epitomise your play style? And just in general what was it like playing there?
(Morgan) Yeah, I think against such a strong outfit that Chelsea were, I think we had to be clever in the way we played and the way we had to keep the ball when we had the chance to because they were obviously very good with it and we didn't get to see much of the ball. So, I think keeping the ball was something that was of the utmost importance and something that I think, like you say, does epitomise how I play. I think I'm tidy in possession and clever in the decisions I make, which obviously I had to be against them. But yeah, overall, it was an amazing night. Especially as an 18-year-old stepping out against some of those players that you were watching just a few years ago. It's almost indescribable. But every single person, the players, the backroom staff, the fans, everyone put in a massive shift, and it was a shame that we didn't quite get it over the line. But, it's certainly a night to remember and something I can use to build off and it gives me inspiration to be back there one day soon.
(Jack) I think as well the fact that they were bringing on, we're talking excess of £100m players like Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, I mean that says a lot I think and this highlights yourself and the team's performance as well.
So, for next season with the with the League Cup, have you got aspirations to maybe go a bit further as well and again maybe get drawn against another big hitter?
(Morgan) Yeah it's always nice to get those kind of games to be able to play at those kind of places so of course it's cliche but, one game at a time and we can't go looking too far ahead and hoping we get a team like that again but it's always nice to go away somewhere like that, so yeah, we'll see where it goes. Take it one game at a time, but hopefully we can start strong in both the league and in the cup competitions, and then go back to somewhere like that and hopefully do one better than last time.
(Jack) So your contract is due to expire at the end of the 24/25 season. Obviously, right now, it's very hard to say where you'll be this time next year, there's still lots of things that can happen in terms of this season. You're only 19, you'll be 20 come the end of next season, what's your vision for the future? I've been reading lots of fan forums and there have been calling for you to get a starting position. Also, I know that you've [Wimbledon] recently signed Maycock, who obviously is going to be playing sort of in a similar position to yourself. But, someone like yourself, having been with Wimbledon since the age of five/six years old, you've kind of got that indebted feeling to the club. What's your next steps, your vision moving forward in the team?
(Morgan) Yeah, exactly like you said I think my primary aim is to get into that Wimbledon team, get as many games as I can, and get the team to where it belongs, whether it's this season, hopefully it is, or whether we look past that. I think that's what my aim is.
I've been at the club for ages since I was kicking a ball. So, I've got a lot of love for the club and I've grown up in in the community and I know a lot about it. So I obviously want to make my mark at this club. And like you said, it's hard to know as I'm only 19 what the future holds. But obviously, my main priority is, of course, getting into that team, playing as much as I can, and then seeing where we can go. Anything that comes on top of that is a conversation for another day. So, that's my aim, I'm just 100% focused on getting into that team and getting the team where it belongs and getting the club back to where we know we can go.
(Jack) And again, I know Maycock is a good competition for yourself, someone to be working with, as well as trying to compete for the starting spot, but I think you know Wimbledon have a lot of quality Academy players. I think it will say a lot and a good stance from the club if they'd say someone like yourself to be starting, sort of perhaps a week in, week out. Because I appreciate in League two, there's lots of fixtures that come all at once but perhaps to get a starting spot maybe once maybe twice a week as well, I think that's something that the club should definitely be looking towards.
(Morgan) Yeah, I think like you say we've bought through a lot of good players. There's a lot of boys in that first XI and set up that have moved in through the Academy that I've played with for years so, that's the good feel that the club has and they obviously do trust the Academy players.
Like you say, League Two is obviously a very demanding league, loads of fixtures so the chances will always come. I've just got to keep that starting spot or whether I come on and impact the game or I impact the game in different ways. It's always healthy competition, so everyone's always ready to do their job and what they need to do. So, we'll only wait and see until the first day of the season, but for me it's just about working hard and showing what I can do and then seeing where that takes me, for this season ahead.
(Jack) So, you've enjoyed loan periods with the likes of Corinthian Casuals, Eastbourne and most recently with, my local team, Woking. So, what were some of the things you learned during your loan spells? For many players globally, I could list a few like Harry Kane and other notable players who’ve had pivotal loan periods that made them into the player they are today. What have you learned and how will you apply it to your current game?
(Morgan) Yeah, so I went on loan at the end of my scholarship to Corinthian Casuals, and then Eastbourne where it was my first real introduction to men's football. That immediately teaches you the physical side of the game that you don't get at the Academy level. The way the game is managed and the way the game is played when there's something on the line every week, when you're fighting for promotion or you're fighting to stay up. So, there's a different kind of feel, of course, playing men's football.
And then obviously most recently Woking last year, which was a good move for me to go and get minutes, to go and play at that level. And yeah, it's a similar standard to League Two, so it was a good introduction for me to that kind of football. I think the games obviously played at a similar speed. Physically it's obviously demanding. There's a lot of challenges that you don't experience at the Academy level, how to manage yourself as well as managing the players around you. But I think the most important thing is obviously going alone to play football and that's what I've done at those three clubs.
But yeah, I think in terms of learning lessons, as simple as it sounds, it's almost just to transition from Academy football where there's the less physical side of the game. It's obviously played at a slower speed and you're not fighting for three points, that can can affect what job you're in. So, I think it's just the pressure that comes with it, and to manage the game, which is something you don't get exposed to as a younger footballer. So, just taking in the experiences I've had, the way you deal with losses, the way you deal with two games a week, home and away, and the things you don't get at the academy level that's really it, the transition. But yeah, hopefully those loans have provided me with those kinds of lessons that I can take going forward and see where that goes.
(Jack) Yeah, and as I just said Woking was probably one of the most pivotal loan spells. Lots of people have seen Wrexham in League Two last season. We've seen on the Disney+ documentary about the difficulties of playing National League. I think it’s one of the hardest leagues in the world to stay in, to come back into if you drop down, but also to get out of it, it's not easy. So, what was some of the key takeaways you had from your time at Woking?
(Morgan) Yeah, I think like you say, the league itself is very difficult. Every game is a completely different game. You come up against such different opposition, whether it was at one point Wrexham or the week after playing against a completely different side, it's tough and I think you get a lot of good players who play at the National League level which it might not be associated with at first thought. So, I think physically the game is just as tough as the leagues above, and that makes it very hard to play sustained football. So, that's why you see the teams like Wrexham who can get promoted.
But it's such a small difference between all the teams just behind. But that small difference is what makes a difference in the national League. So, it's a very demanding league physically but, it was something that taught me a lot. You know, a lot of good lessons and something I can take into League Two because it's obviously at that similar level, physically and technically, so I obviously took out a lot of good things from it. But, the league itself is very difficult because you never know what you're going to come up against. There's a lot of chopping and changing and like I said, a completely different style of game each week, so it makes it difficult to be consistent. I think it is why you see only the very best of teams get promoted from it. It was really good for me to go and do [play in National League], I learned lots of things. It's certainly a difficult league to get out of, I can tell you that.
(Jack) So, at the time of recording this, the Euros recently finished. As an English fan, obviously, I'm devastated. But yourself, you've been playing with Wales. They weren't present, I'm part Welsh, so obviously, I also want them to be there as well. You've been building your international experience through the youth ranks. Notable things: 16 appearances overall, so first of all, are your eyes on the senior team soon? Maybe breaking through because obviously Wales right now are in a I'd say quite a big transitional period. Obviously looking for a new gaffer and stuff. So, what are your thoughts on that?
(Morgan) Yeah, I think the main aim for me is to... it's I think it comes hand in hand with club football. So, I think breaking through at the club level and getting onto that stage and playing consistently as quickly as I can will obviously help me at the international stage. It's amazing to represent your country, through the ages of under 15s, when I started to play in under 19s as of the latest one, playing in Euro qualifying championship things like that. Yeah, I wouldn't have dreamed of as a kid, it's quite amazing.
But I think getting into that U21s, and hopefully one day into the first team is obviously every Welsh boy's dream and to get there, only time will tell. I think I've just, like I said, got to keep focusing on myself, keep focusing on what I do day-to-day and then hopefully I can perform well enough that you get noticed and you get the chance. There's always a lot of communication between players and staff in this setup, which is really good. There's a really apparent pathway there which is obviously promising when you're looking to build and hopefully get into that first team one day. So, I think as long as I'm performing as well as I am at the club consistently and hopefully you can get that breakthrough season this year then then hopefully that comes hand in hand with getting U21s call-ups and hopefully that senior call-up one day. So only time will tell but yeah, you’ve got to believe in your own ability, so one day we'll see.
(Jack) So I said you've had a loan period, the youth set up at international level as well. Is changing managers and having different tactics that you have to play under? Is it something that comes easy to you? Do you adapt it quickly or do you have to sort of do your homework off the pitch as well as on it?
(Morgan) I think in terms of adapting between different styles of football is something that I think I'm quite good at. I think I'm quite an intelligent player to be able to chop and change and transition between different things. So, I think that's something that I've always been quite lucky to have as a footballer growing up. Is that side of the game and that intelligence which means I can do different roles in the team. I can be versatile in different positions, which is always a good thing to be able to do, so, that side of the game is something that I think comes quite naturally to me.
But, especially as in the world of football I’m still young, a younger professional, there’s learning, there's obviously still learning. I think learning under different managers is always going to be a challenge because you're never sure what you're facing until you meet them. When I was at Woking I worked under Darren Sarll, who I thought was amazing. I really got on with him. I thought his coaching style was brilliant but, he moved on when I was there. Then you're faced with a new challenge, and learning to adapt under a new manager as quick as you can, and seeing where that takes you. So, it's not always easy but, I think that is unfortunately part of the game, and there's a lot of chopping and changing. There's a lot of movement between not just managers, but of course, players and the way that clubs are transitioning - that's something that all footballers have adapted to over the years and are still adapting to now. So, I don't think that will ever become easier but, that's just part of the game. So, it's always a good challenge, it's always good fun, but, I think in general that's something I find quite interesting and a bit of a challenge. So, I always attack it head on and have some good fun with it.
(Jack) Would you say the cutthroat nature of football which, again we're talking lower leagues, I think in particular is even harder, it's ruthless. When would you say that you sort of came to terms with that component of the game or are you still coming to terms with the cutthroat nature as well?
(Morgan) I mean it is such a demanding sport and it is such a cruel sport. Even at the academy level, you see boys that you've played with for years not get offered professional contracts or not move into certain stages of their career. So, you learn it from a young age when you see all the boys that you grew up with go on different paths to you and not end up where they thought they would at this age.
I think, in terms of the senior world, it was my first year last year as a professional footballer, and in that time I worked under a few different managers, both on loan at Wimbledon and under the manager there. But then obviously going out on loans, working under two different managers at Woking, so I worked under a few different ones last year. And immediately, you're hit with the fact that there's so much chopping and changing and you're lucky to be where you are and you have to fight every day to keep that. To keep your role in whether it's a player or as a manager. So, of course I'm still learning. I'm sure I'll face more challenges both on and off the pitch, to come in the years, but, ,, it's good to get that exposure at a young age and to experience the things I've experienced so far. So, each thing is got to be taken as a positive even if it's not. I think it's a positive thing, even if it's a tough thing at the time because, at the end of the day, it's a lesson learned and it's something that can help me continue to develop both as a player and a person, both on and off the pitch.
(Jack) So, we kind of briefly touched on your playing style: possession, winning it back, turning it over. I've also been watching highlights and there's that tenacity that you have. So, Stephen Haywood, for the Football League World, he described you as a “youthful midfield gem”. And the idea of sending you on loan again would be “foolish”. How would you describe your play style?
(Morgan) Yeah, I think that tenacity you said is something that I've always grown up with. Ratting around getting after players, getting in their face which isn't always the side of the game that people see or the side of the game people want to do. But, I think that's something I can do quite well, and that means that I get a lot more of the ball on transition. So, I think when I obviously do get that ball, I think being intelligent in the passes I make, making the decisions whether to drive with the ball, whether to lay it off, whether to hit a 50-yard diagonal switch. I think knowing what to do on the ball is a strength of mine. And I think the repetition, the consistency in my decisions, the technical ability to complete passes, to get crosses into the box to get shots, to get the first pass away under pressure those kind of things that as a midfielder, you have to do, especially at the level that I'm playing at in League Two. I think in the National League last year when it's so physical and there's so little time on the ball, I think those clear-headed decisions that are made within seconds are important and I think come quite naturally to me. So, I'd say I’m just quite an intelligent, creative, tenacious midfielder like you say, who can bring both sides of the game in and out of possession and do a job for the team, whether it's both on and off the ball.
(Jack) You've kind of touched on it in previous interviews that you've had on the importance of family. So, you've got your father as a professional rugby player, your two younger brothers, your middle brother is now with Scarlets. Your youngest brother, both of them in the Wimbledon setup as well, but they're now committing themselves to rugby. Basically, first of all, tell me about the joys of sharing sport with your family. I think that's the same in my family, we love sport as well. Also, the sacrifices that have to be made, in order to pursue a career in professional sport.
(Morgan) Yeah, I mean, you touched on, I think, being brought up in a family where sport is, so loved, and it's such a big part of everyone’s life is amazing. And to be able to, whether it's in the garden, whether it's on the pitch, whatever it might be, to share the same love with both my brothers, my mum, and my dad. Whether it's rugby, football, cricket, whatever it was, we used to play. It's amazing that we can all pick up a bat or pick up a ball in the garden and everyone can get involved, and it can turn into one of those ferocious games of sport I've seen. But, it's amazing that we can say we’ve all been brought up that way.
We've all got on; we've all got our own pathways now. Obviously, I'm heading in that football direction and heading to the level I want to get to. Thomas has recently started up in the Scarlet Academy. He boards full-time in Wales so he's obviously very committed to what he does which at the age of 16, when he went, is obviously never easy to move away from home and to dedicate yourself full-time to trying to become a professional sportsman. Dylan is a bit younger, but he's grown up watching his two brothers rough and tumble in the garden and out on that pitch, so he's obviously picked up a ball as soon as he could, and he's heading in that direction for rugby as well. So, it's really exciting to see as the oldest brother, as well, how my two younger brothers are developing and how much of a role I can try and play in that to help them get where they need to.
So, obviously whether it's football, whether it's rugby, whatever sport or profession, it's obviously so tough to reach the highest level of the game. There's so much dedication, so much work, so much sacrifice that has to go into that. I've obviously experienced to a small level so far. I've obviously got a lot more to go but, those two are just starting on their journeys. Well, I say just starting; they're obviously on their journeys, but as the oldest brother, I still look down at them as my two younger ones. It's exciting to see where they're going and it's a testament to the work that they're putting in at their age. And hopefully it can pay off and we can all share a pitch doing something or we can all watch each other doing something one day at the professional level of our game. So, yeah, it's only exciting to see what goes on ahead and see where we can all get to.
(Jack) Would you say, in terms of from your parents, I'm thinking [about] things that kind of characterise your progression. In terms of the pitch as well as your brothers: drive, motivation, passion, commitment with your parents. Where does it come from, from each parent? Is it more your dad or more your mum? What are some of the things you picked up from them and what have they instilled in you and your brothers?
(Morgan) Yeah, a bit of a mix. Dad obviously played professional rugby when he played. And my Mum was involved in the Wales lacrosse setup when she was growing up, so there's obviously a lot of sport in the family. But, both equally as each other drive us in their own ways. I think I can rely on both of them to tell me how I’ve done honestly, to get me in the gym, whatever it might be. When I've been growing up, my Dad has a bit more knowledge of the football game than my Mum I’d say but both of them want me to do as well as I can. So, they're always both there to support me. And I think growing up in that sporting background, you obviously learn a lot of lessons from a young age of what it takes to get to the highest level.
Even as a six-year-old when I started at Wimbledon, having my Dad and my Mum drive me across the country as a six-year-old is not something they would have had any idea I'd be where I am now. So, it's that dedication and effort they put in from when I was so young, it's so good to see that it's so far been rewarded to a certain extent, and hopefully I can continue to reward it. So, the amount of work they put in for me and my brothers is amazing, like you said. Family is such an important thing to succeed; having that base around you because it obviously can get tough in professional sport. So, to have my parents who have always worked hard and to know what it's like for me, for themselves, is brilliant. There's always someone I can lean on, and to just keep learning from. But, they've both definitely helped me get to where I am, and obviously wouldn't have been able to get to the level I've got to so far without my parents' help from when I was so young, and without the support of my brothers along the way.
(Jack) And I think it's the, at the time of recording; I'm 23 years old, and that idea that what our parents do is that almost children are an investment that don't have as, per say, a monetary return. It's an investment that, in theory, you might money-wise be making a loss, but you gain so much in memories, rewarding things like career and future family as well. So, I think it's that encouragement and that support that really grounds you is just essential, I think, to anyone. I think the most successful sportsmen in the world, they have that group of people around them that just keep them grounded and rooted.
Out of interest, as well, when you were growing up, were you playing different sports and trying to work out your thing. Did your parents encourage you to try different sports or was it more you just found one sport and that was it?
(Morgan) I played cricket, tennis, rugby, football, did athletics, whatever it was, that I've done so many things as a kid. It’s been the same with my two younger brothers; they have also done so much, and Thomas decided to go to rugby when he was 16 so he obviously played a lot of football in the Wimbledon set up and he's made his decision a bit later than I did.
I think it became apparent at a certain age that football was the one for me but, our parents always encourage us to try different things, to do different sports because you learn different lessons. In each one you meet new people, you do different things. That’s just as important as the journey you’re on as I am in football now. The friendships you make along the way doing different things so it’s good I’ve learnt so many different things playing so many different sports. Being brought up that way because it's allowed me to turn into the person I am now, and, use who I am on the football pitch. But, at the same time off it, be the person that I want to be. So, they're always really good at different things and almost left us to our own devices in terms of what we were best at. And it turned out I was best with the round ball, Thomas and Dylan with a slightly odd-shaped ball. But, there was always a lot going on as children. And like you say, the investment in us has so far turned out well. So, hopefully we can keep going and we'll see where we end up.
(Jack) I'd like to say a massive thank you to Morgan for taking the time to speak with me today. I wish him all the best for the next season. Hopefully, looking forward to seeing him playing more regularly in the starting lineup for Wimbledon.