Echoes Of 2016 Title Triumph For Morgan

- Wes Morgan describes winning the Emirates FA Cup as an ‘unbelievable feeling’
- The Leicester City defender came off the bench to help the Club to their first-ever FA Cup triumph
- Morgan has now lifted the Premier League, FA Cup and Championship trophies with the Foxes
- The winning goal came courtesy of a superb long-range effort from Youri Tielemans

Youri Tielemans fired home an emphatic winner as City banished their FA Cup Final hoodoo and claimed the world-famous trophy for the first time in their 137-year history on what proved to be an unforgettable day for the Blue Army.

Morgan, 37, was an 82nd-minute substitute in the victory, as he came on to bolster the City defence to prevent the Blues from forcing the tie to extra-time.

“I’m in shock still,” he told LCFC TV. “Coming into the game, you’re in a final, there a possibility of winning, but when we get the goal and get the feeling that: ‘We’re on here’, and to see it out at the end while under some real pressure, the disallowed goal – it all combines into mixed emotions.

“To see the game out and get our hands on the trophy, it’s an unbelievable feeling. It’s right up there with winning the league.

“I’ve struggled a lot with an injury, a back issue that hasn’t really gone away. I struggled for the second part of the season, really, and I was hoping just to get some pitch time before the end.

“Probably only 24/48 hours ago, I was included in the squad, so I was just buzzing about that and then got onto the bench, and then eventually got onto the pitch and won the FA Cup! It’s a crazy turn of events, I was shocked that I was on the pitch and this has happened.

“I just need to let it sink in!”

In a moment of togetherness that typified the Club’s ethos, Kasper Schmeichel – captain on the day – was set to lift the trophy on his own, but invited Morgan to do so, allowing him to share in a historic moment.

The City No.5 said: “In terms of the FA Cup run, I haven’t featured much and Kasper [Schmeichel] has led the team out throughout. We had a quick discussion. I said: ‘Listen, Kas, you’ve led the team out, you go and lift the trophy’.

“To be fair to Kasper, he said: ‘No, we’ll do it together’. We’ve been on a long journey throughout the years together – ups and downs, we’ve shared it all. He wanted us to lift it together, so thanks to Kasper for that.”

For Morgan, City’s second major trophy in five years is an indication of how the Football Club has progressed in recent seasons, as they now bid to secure a top four berth in the Premier League.

“It’s over 50 years since we were in an FA Cup Final, and it means so much to the fans and to the players as well,” he said. “There are some great young players coming through, and this is what they’ve come to this club for – to get to finals and be challenging for trophies.

“We’re heading in the right direction. The last time we won anything was obviously the Premier League, and to win the FA Cup just shows what we’re capable of and the direction we’re working towards.

“It’s unbelievable. It’s a fantastic club, we’ve got great owners, we’ve got great management and we’ve got great players, so the future is very bright.”