Following a mesmerising career that will forever be remembered for Leicester City’s legendary Premier League title win in 2016, Foxes captain Wes Morgan chose to hang up his boots at the end of last season – but intends to remain immersed in the game through new pathways.

The 37-year-old, who played over 750 games in a career spanning across four divisions, is now beginning the transition into a second career – having always had a keen eye for business, he says. Set to join VSI’s MSc Sports Directorship programme this September, Morgan is eager to stay connected to football and pursue fresh challenges within the sport.

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Wes Morgan spoke to us as part of the VSI Webinar Series.

Speaking exclusively to UCFB, he said: “I’m still very passionate about football – I’m no longer able to perform on a football pitch, but I’m keen on helping a football club progress in the right direction. My end goal is to still be working in football at an executive level, making improvements and moving the game forward for players and for fans.”

Morgan added: “This course is something I’ve had my eye on for a while.”

It’s not just his footballing prowess that the former defender believes can help him progress in this new career path. Having captained Leicester for nine years, leading the club to their heroic Premier League win, Morgan believes the skills he developed through this leadership role may also be of use in his next phase.

He said: “Having been captain, I know what it takes to be commanding, make decisions, to be assertive and to have an open mind at the same time and listen to people and take on challenges. These are all the little things that probably go into business.”

While Morgan admits it’s not going to be easy seeing his former teammates walk out for the first time without him next season, he hasn’t found the transition too strenuous or traumatic so far, ensuring he carefully planned ahead before retiring. But too few footballers do the same, which is something he believes needs to change in the sport.

Morgan said: “The problem with footballers is that sometimes they don’t think about it until it’s too late. Sometimes it’s forced upon you through unforeseen circumstances such as injury, at that point they start thinking about what they can do next but they’re behind that. You spend a few years gaining experience to go into your next pathway in your career when you could have done that before your [playing] career finishes.”

He added: “But I’ve spent the last few years of finishing football and moving to the next chapter of my career and this programme will add to that.”