Former captain Wes Morgan laments Leicester City relegation to League One
Former captain Wes Morgan has expressed his profound sadness after Leicester City suffered consecutive relegations to drop into League One just a decade after lifting the Premier League trophy.
The 42-year-old retired from professional football following the club’s historic FA Cup triumph in 2021.
Just five years after that Wembley victory, the East Midlands outfit have tumbled into the third tier for only the second time in their 142-year history.
This devastating slump was confirmed a mere 12 days before the 10th anniversary of their miraculous 5,000-1 top-flight title success.
A spectacular fall from grace
“I’m sad to see where we were as a club when I left, to where it is now,” Morgan told BBC East Midlands Today.
“I just don’t want to see the team in that position and I can understand the fans and how they feel angry about the position they are in.”
“It hurts to see where the club is, but at the same time I know football, know that things change and it goes full-circle sometimes. I know the club will be back.”
Wes Morgan
The former Jamaica international amassed 324 appearances during a stellar near-decade spell at the King Power Stadium.
He initially crossed the regional divide to join from local rivals Nottingham Forest in 2012 before securing Championship promotion two years later.
Treasuring monumental past triumphs
The imposing centre-back subsequently spearheaded an incredible escape from top-flight relegation before skippering the side to their unforgettable domestic championship in 2016.
European adventures in both the Champions League and Europa League followed for the veteran defender.
Despite the current bleak reality, the retired stalwart believes those monumental past achievements must still be cherished by supporters.
“I’m sure the memories of our successes are still quite fresh in the minds of fans, so it is difficult,” he added.
“For me, the time we had 10 years ago, the special moment, needs to be celebrated and talked about.”
Struggles to sustain elite standards
The legendary title-winning squad had largely dispersed by the time their commanding skipper hung up his boots.
Iconic striker Jamie Vardy was the final remaining pillar of that golden era, eventually departing following relegation from the top tier last season.
Mounting criticism has been directed at the club’s hierarchy and ownership as they navigate this startling downward trajectory.
Instead of levelling direct blame, the former Nottingham Forest man highlighted the unique challenge of maintaining elite footballing operations.
“It’s hard to repeat what that group did, to have that same sort of mentality and sustain that high level,” he explained.
“Trying to manage the standards and trying to manage the group and keep the levels is difficult. If you don’t quite get it right, it can easily fall by the wayside.”
