# Morgan Whittaker
**Morgan Reece Whittaker** (born 2001) is an English professional footballer who plays as a right winger or attacking midfielder for MLS club [Colorado Rapids](https://www.edgepedia.org/colorado-rapids), which he joined from [Middlesbrough](https://www.edgepedia.org/middlesbrough) in September 2026.[1](https://www.greensonscreen.co.uk/gosdb-players2.php?pid=1268) • [2](https://eflchampionship.co.uk/transfers/whittaker-leaves-middlesbrough-for-mls) He came through Derby County's academy, made his name in a 19-goal Championship season with Plymouth Argyle, and finished his Middlesbrough spell as the club's top scorer before moving to the United States.[1](https://www.greensonscreen.co.uk/gosdb-players2.php?pid=1268) • [3](https://fieldinsider.com/scout-report/morgan-reece-whittaker-129709/career) • [2](https://eflchampionship.co.uk/transfers/whittaker-leaves-middlesbrough-for-mls)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name / born | Morgan Reece Whittaker, 2001, Derby[1](https://www.greensonscreen.co.uk/gosdb-players2.php?pid=1268) |
| Position | Right winger / attacking midfielder; left-footed, 183 cm, 69 kg[4](https://uflscout.com/players/s2526/5560/whittaker/t0) |
| Senior clubs | Derby County, Swansea City, Plymouth Argyle, Middlesbrough, Colorado Rapids[3](https://fieldinsider.com/scout-report/morgan-reece-whittaker-129709/career) • [2](https://eflchampionship.co.uk/transfers/whittaker-leaves-middlesbrough-for-mls) |
| Best season | 2023/24 at Plymouth: 19 goals and 8 assists in 46 Championship games[3](https://fieldinsider.com/scout-report/morgan-reece-whittaker-129709/career) |
| Middlesbrough record | 14 goals in 66 appearances after a January 2025 move for £5m; top scorer last season[2](https://eflchampionship.co.uk/transfers/whittaker-leaves-middlesbrough-for-mls) • [5](https://bbc.com.im/sport/football/articles/cx2z03d5ewro) |
| Colorado move | 4 September 2026, undisclosed fee, three-year contract with an option for a further year, a Designated Player slot[2](https://eflchampionship.co.uk/transfers/whittaker-leaves-middlesbrough-for-mls) |
| Career totals | 194 appearances, 51 goals, 26 assists across 4 clubs, 2020/21 to 2025/26[3](https://fieldinsider.com/scout-report/morgan-reece-whittaker-129709/career) |
## Derby County and Swansea City
Whittaker developed through his hometown club Derby County's academy and won England youth honors at every level from under-16 to under-20. His 2018/19 junior season was his strongest at that stage: 37 combined games for the under-18 and under-23 sides with 24 goals and 16 assists. He made his Derby first-team debut in August 2019, aged 18, and made 32 appearances for the club, all but five from the bench.[1](https://www.greensonscreen.co.uk/gosdb-players2.php?pid=1268)
On the last day of the January 2021 transfer window he signed a four-and-a-half-year deal with Swansea City for a reported fee of £700,000. In his first 12 months in [South Wales](https://www.edgepedia.org/south-wales) he scored five times in 22 appearances, mostly as a substitute, including an [FA Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fa-cup) goal against Manchester City on his debut and an 11-minute hat-trick against Plymouth Argyle in the second round of the [EFL Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/efl-cup) in August 2021, the first hat-trick by a Swansea player in a decade.[1](https://www.greensonscreen.co.uk/gosdb-players2.php?pid=1268) A planned season-long loan to Lincoln City had been delayed by injuries at Swansea, and the move went through in January 2022; he scored five goals in 20 League One appearances for the Imps, this time mostly in the starting line-up.[1](https://www.greensonscreen.co.uk/gosdb-players2.php?pid=1268)
## Plymouth Argyle
Whittaker joined Plymouth Argyle on a season-long loan ten days before the start of 2022/23 and made an immediate impact, scoring nine goals in the first half of the season as the side sat seven points clear at the top of League One on [New Year's Day](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-years-day). Swansea recalled him the following day, and he made only two further starts for his parent club that season, though Argyle won promotion as champions.[1](https://www.greensonscreen.co.uk/gosdb-players2.php?pid=1268)
In mid-July 2023 he returned on a permanent deal worth around £1m plus add-ons, widely reported as making him Plymouth's first £1 million signing.[6](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66225401) • [1](https://www.greensonscreen.co.uk/gosdb-players2.php?pid=1268) The 2023/24 Championship campaign was his peak: 19 goals in 46 games, including a hat-trick in a 6-2 win over Norwich City, as Argyle retained their Championship status with a final-day victory over Hull City.[3](https://fieldinsider.com/scout-report/morgan-reece-whittaker-129709/career) • [1](https://www.greensonscreen.co.uk/gosdb-players2.php?pid=1268) His form drew transfer interest, and Argyle reportedly turned down several offers in January 2024, including one from Lazio.[1](https://www.greensonscreen.co.uk/gosdb-players2.php?pid=1268)
His 2024/25 form did not reach the previous season's level, but he still scored a winner against Blackburn Rovers and the decisive goal in an FA Cup third-round win over Premier League side [Brentford](https://www.edgepedia.org/brentford). In January 2025 he reportedly did not show up for a 5-0 home defeat against Burnley despite being selected, and two days later Argyle accepted a bid from Middlesbrough for a reported £6 million with a further £2 million in add-ons and a sell-on clause, by far the largest fee the club had received.[1](https://www.greensonscreen.co.uk/gosdb-players2.php?pid=1268) [BBC Sport](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-sport) put the fee at £5m.[5](https://bbc.com.im/sport/football/articles/cx2z03d5ewro)
## Middlesbrough
Whittaker joined Middlesbrough on 24 January 2025 and scored 14 goals in 66 appearances for the club, finishing the 2025/26 season as Boro's top scorer despite a slow start.[7](https://www.footballtransferleague.co.uk/players/morgan_whittaker) • [2](https://eflchampionship.co.uk/transfers/whittaker-leaves-middlesbrough-for-mls) He had started all three of Middlesbrough's Championship matches in the 2026/27 season, including the win against West Bromwich Albion on 29 August, before the sale.[2](https://eflchampionship.co.uk/transfers/whittaker-leaves-middlesbrough-for-mls)
## Colorado Rapids
Middlesbrough confirmed on 4 September 2026 that Whittaker had been sold to MLS side Colorado Rapids for an undisclosed fee on a three-year contract, with the Rapids holding an option for a further year. He fills a Designated Player slot for the club, the MLS mechanism that lets teams sign players earning more than the normal salary cap allows.[2](https://eflchampionship.co.uk/transfers/whittaker-leaves-middlesbrough-for-mls)
## Playing style
Whittaker plays as an attacking midfielder or right winger, is left-footed, and stands 183 cm tall.[4](https://uflscout.com/players/s2526/5560/whittaker/t0) A 2024 scouting report described him operating on the right side of the main forward in a 3-4-2-1 system with ample tactical freedom.[8](https://betweenthelines5638.wordpress.com/2024/05/02/anthonyscouts-2024-morgan-whittaker/) A career analysis characterizes him as a streaky attacker whose form has swung between campaigns, with his best season on record the 2023/24 campaign at Plymouth and a downward trend since that peak.[3](https://fieldinsider.com/scout-report/morgan-reece-whittaker-129709/career)
## References
1. [Morgan Whittaker player profile, Greens on Screen (Plymouth Argyle Heritage Archive)](https://www.greensonscreen.co.uk/gosdb-players2.php?pid=1268)
2. [Whittaker leaves Middlesbrough for MLS, EFL Championship](https://eflchampionship.co.uk/transfers/whittaker-leaves-middlesbrough-for-mls)
3. [Morgan Reece Whittaker career report, Field Insider](https://fieldinsider.com/scout-report/morgan-reece-whittaker-129709/career)
4. [Morgan Whittaker Base Player card, UFL Scout](https://uflscout.com/players/s2526/5560/whittaker/t0)
5. [Morgan Whittaker: Middlesbrough forward joins Colorado Rapids in MLS, BBC Sport](https://bbc.com.im/sport/football/articles/cx2z03d5ewro)
6. [Morgan Whittaker: Swansea striker makes permanent £1m-plus Plymouth Argyle move, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66225401)
7. [Morgan Whittaker transfer history, Football Transfer League](https://www.footballtransferleague.co.uk/players/morgan_whittaker)
8. [#AnthonyScouts 2024 – Morgan Whittaker, Between the Lines](https://betweenthelines5638.wordpress.com/2024/05/02/anthonyscouts-2024-morgan-whittaker/)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of the British Isles (modern era) › English footballers 2015–present › Wingers and attacking midfielders › English wingers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license