Ffion Morgan grew up in the hills of west Wales where opportunities to become a female footballer were few and far between. Now she’s donning the famous Claret and Blue in east London - and documenting her journey day by day.
Our new No23 was born in Llandeilo on the westernmost edge of the Brecon Beacons into a family who mainly followed rugby, but convinced her parents to take her to football training when she was four years old. Despite playing on a team of boys, Morgan fell in love with the sport and has not looked back since.
When she was eight years old, Morgan met former Wales international Loren Dykes, who went on to make 105 appearances for her country. And it was at that moment she realised that playing football for a career was possible.
“[Meeting Loren] changed my life,” said Morgan. “That’s when I wanted to play football and play for Wales. If I can be that for someone now, then I feel I’m playing my part.
“I’m so passionate about Wales, I could live in Wales for my whole life, but because I wanted to play football, and Wales didn’t have much investment or infrastructure for that, it meant I had to move away. But I’ve loved what I’ve got from football: travelling, seeing the world. I’ve been very blessed and I never thought I was going to do that at four years old.
“But I would not be anywhere near where I am today without my parents. Their commitment from when I was four years old, taking me to football every week. And because we lived in Wales, we had to travel a lot as well. My Mum stopped working because of football and travelling a lot. I owe everything to them.”
Former Cardiff City and Crystal Palace forward Morgan lived her dream in the summer, representing Wales at UEFA Women’s Euro 2025. While that was her first appearance at a major tournament, it was also her country’s. In December 2024, Morgan helped them qualify for the Euros in a play-off success over the Republic of Ireland.
Subsequently, Morgan featured in all three of Wales’ Group D fixtures, starting twice, as they faced the Netherlands, France and England in Switzerland.
“It was unreal, it was like a dream,” she said. “Being there with the fans was so overwhelming, and the support from family, friends and Welsh speakers, Welsh people who love Wales as much as we do, was surreal.
“We got a lot of family time when we were away, they got to come into the team base and have a look around, so I felt like I was experiencing it with them. My parents stayed up the whole time, which was really nice. Walking out onto the pitch and hearing those Welsh fans in the first game against the Netherlands, I won’t forget that. It was amazing.”
Morgan’s busy summer continued after the historic tournament, as she put pen to paper on a two-year deal at West Ham after the expiry of her contract at Barclays Women’s Super League 2 side Bristol City.
After finishing third with Bristol City in her first season, Morgan helped the Robins secure the BWSL 2 title in 2022/23, scoring five goals in 20 league appearances as her side pipped Birmingham City to top spot by a point.
She subsequently featured in every league clash in her maiden WSL campaign, but Bristol City were relegated. However last term, after a sixth-place finish in BWSL 2 with six goals and four assists, Morgan won Bristol City’s Supporters’ Player of the Year and departed the club after making 89 appearances, scoring 15 goals.
Morgan has been in east London for three months and feels fully settled into her new home.
“I love the city life, the busyness of London,” she said. “I had a bit of that in Bristol, but London is just another level. It’s just so different to home. Where I’m from the only traffic you get is if the cows are moving from one field to another. The traffic is crazy here, but everything is accessible. I definitely am a city girl. I can see myself really enjoying being here.
“I was super excited to join the Club. Me and West Ham had conversations before and we’d had that connection. I knew Rehanne [Skinner] as well because she coached me [in Wales’ youth set-up] when I was 18. To then make it happen in the summer, I was really excited.
“I like to think I bring a lot of energy to the pitch, whether that be with my pace or being creative on the ball. The girls here are players that I’ve always watched and wanted to play with, and now I’m here, I can see why I was feeling that way. They’re very talented.”
Another string to Morgan’s bow is her presence on social media. Known for her 'Day in the Life' videos, where she shows people what she gets up to on training days, matchdays and days off, Morgan has accumulated nearly 200,000 followers on Instagram and 135,000 on TikTok.
“It’s a shame I don’t do a Day in the Life every day, because with this team there’s something new every day!” she smiled. “They’re such a good group, they’re so funny and have so many different cultures and languages as well. It’s really fun to be around.
“I just wanted to settle in first before getting my phone out to vlog because I want to have good relationships with people and that was the main thing for me, to be comfortable before I started doing my own thing!
“Everyone starts in the same way, it’s just where you want to go and how you do it. Everyone is capable of being in a West Ham shirt in however many years. If you put your mind to it, you can be whoever you want to be.”
AI Asks...
We asked AI to come up with ten light-hearted questions to ask forward Ffion Morgan…
If you weren’t a footballer, what completely different job could you see yourself doing?
“I would either be in social media, or I would be a sales person. I used to work a sales job in my early years of playing football.”
What’s your go-to pre-match snack or meal that you can’t live without?
“It would have to be the pancakes they make here.”
Which teammate would you trust the least to be your Uber driver and why?
“For some reason Manuela Paví comes to mind. If we had to go somewhere or direct each other, it would just be a nightmare.”
What’s the most random or unexpected song on your playlist right now?
“Maybe a song by Gunna.”
If you had to describe your playing style as an animal, which one would you choose?
“It would have to be a cheetah, wouldn’t it?!”
What’s one thing fans might be surprised to learn about you off the pitch?
“I can complete a Rubik’s cube!”
If you could instantly master any skill outside football, what would it be?
“I’d like to be good at quick maths.”
Tea or coffee - and what’s your go-to order?
“A basic flat white with normal milk. I sometimes put a little bit of sugar in there.”
What’s been your most memorable match so far in your career and what made it so special?
“It has to be the game against the Republic of Ireland at the Aviva [Stadium in Dublin], when we qualified for the Euros, or maybe the first game at the Euros [against the Netherlands in Lucerne].”
If you could swap places with any athlete in another sport for a day, who would it be?
“I’d say the American gymnast Simone Biles. I think it’s crazy what she does! I’d be petrified doing it, but if I was Simone Biles, then it would be fine!”
