Esme Morgan was at Trader Joe’s looking for oil, salt and pepper.

“I had to go shopping,” says the Sheffield-born defender The athleteand puts quotation marks in the air as she says the last two words. “I’m pretty stubborn and try to remember most of my words. I haven’t had to say the ‘S-word’ yet.”

It’s still football, not soccer. One word that has caused confusion, however, is squash. Morgan showed pictures of Robinson’s Blackcurrant Squash, a fruit juice concentrate popular in the UK, but her new Washington Spirit teammates stared blankly and explained that there was no equivalent. A quick online order solved that problem.

Morgan’s thirst was exacerbated by the humidity in Washington DC, a stark contrast to the drizzle in Manchester she left behind. The muggy weather made her mile time trial – a test as part of her integration into training – a little more difficult, but she’s enjoying getting out there in just a t-shirt and shorts.

These are just some of the differences the 23-year-old has been getting used to since leaving Manchester City, where she spent nine years before signing a three-year deal with National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) team Washington Spirit this summer, making July a tumultuous month for Morgan.

After qualifying for Euro 2025 with the England national team, she flew from Sweden to Brussels and then to Washington – with three teddy bears in her hand luggage in case her luggage got lost. In Washington, she met up with Katia Rabinowitch, who is in charge of player logistics, and packed the stuffed animals into her main luggage before continuing her journey. “She probably thought they’d hired a madman,” laughs Morgan.

“I haven’t really had time to sit down, breathe and clear my head,” says the defense attorney. She has now organized her social security number, bank account and car, and has finally unpacked her things and moved into her apartment, which she plans to decorate with her new cross-stitch project: a picture of the British Isles, a reminder of home.

For some, the move from Manchester to Washington may seem daunting, but for Morgan it was even more so, as she had to leave her family, friends and the club she supported her whole life. But the England international sees it as an adventure.

“I don’t usually think about the ‘what ifs,'” she says. “If I see an opportunity, I take it. The best thing for my career was to move on and take on another challenge, somewhere where I can hopefully consistently play my best position and reach the level I think I’m capable of.”

“All my coaches have always said that I can be one of the best centre-backs in the world. At some point I have to play there week in and week out.”

Last season, Morgan played the second-fewest minutes (537) of her career under coach Gareth Taylor, with only the 2021-22 season being better, when she broke her leg.

“When I was on loan at Everton for a year, I played so consistently and developed so quickly,” she says. “I hope that if I play consistently in one place, I can develop just as quickly. I got to a point where I thought, ‘I don’t want to sit here for a year and think I’ve wasted a year of development.'”

Morgan approached City’s then Director of Women’s Football, Nils Nielsen, who was receptive to the player’s concerns about playing time in the first half of the season. Taylor and Nielsen wanted to keep her, but as the season wore on and Morgan still had no chance, they granted her wish to leave the club.

Morgan sought advice from various people at club and national team level. Her England teammates Lucy Bronze, Keira Walsh and Georgia Stanway had all left City and moved abroad. The message was clear: you develop fastest when you play. At the start of the process, the 23-year-old informed England coach Sarina Wiegman of the ongoing talks with City and discussed options.

“She wasn’t happy with my limited playing time at City; neither was I,” says Morgan, who is aware of next year’s European Championships. “She wants to select people who will play regularly for her club. I’m so grateful that Sarina kept bringing me into the team, even when I wasn’t playing that much.”

“Without praising myself, I was playing at a level that justified it when I came to training camp. But to be considered for the starting lineup or to come off the bench, you have to play consistently. She appreciated that I didn’t just settle. I had to keep going.”

Morgan describes the last year as “difficult” from a footballing perspective, but she says the summer transfer for an undisclosed fee was like a “bright light” on the horizon that caught her attention. She made sure she “gave absolutely everything” in training at City, despite knowing she was unlikely to play at the weekends. “Sometimes it’s easy for those who don’t play to fall behind in training and develop bad habits,” she says. “I didn’t want that.”

Morgan has fond memories of growing up at the club, surrounded by a “close-knit” squad that is like a “family”. She made her first-team debut at 16 and was surrounded by England legends Jill Scott, Karen Bardsley, Bronze and Walsh – she admits she was impressed by them in her first season. Morgan was also inspired by the dedication of, in her words, “the most incredible captain” Steph Houghton, who was always first in the gym and was “an absolute professional player”.

Morgan’s highlight was her performance at the Etihad in the 3-1 Manchester derby win, her last appearance for City. She remembers running onto the pitch as a substitute, hearing the roar of the crowd and looking up at the East Stand, where she once sat on her third birthday with cotton balls in her ears because it was too loud. “I looked up and thought, ‘Wow, look how far I’ve come.’ It was special, a dream come true.”

But now it’s time for them to spread their wings. Morgan has had interest from English and Spanish clubs, notably Tottenham Hotspur, Lyon and Atletico Madrid. But what was particularly attractive was the opportunity to work with former Barcelona coach Jonatan Giraldez, who Morgan says has a great relationship with Wiegman.

“Sarina really enjoyed the opportunity to learn from one of the best coaches in the game and hopefully she will benefit from it too,” says Morgan. Wiegman wasn’t the only one to give Giradlez the nod. Walsh and Bronze, who won two consecutive Champions League titles with the respected coach, also spoke very highly of him and how he has improved their game.

“Keira has always been an incredible player, but somehow she seems to have reached a new level,” says Morgan. “She had a lot less room for improvement than I did, so if he can get a few more percent out of her, I’m really optimistic he’ll help me develop.”

“I look forward to seeing the level of training reflected in the team that is selected. This will ensure competitive training sessions and push everyone to improve.”

Another incentive was the ambition of multi-club owner Michele Kang, an “icon” according to Morgan, who wants the team to dominate the league. “All the stories I hear, I think to myself, ‘Wow, what a woman!'”

The competitive spirit and unpredictability of the NWSL further appealed to Morgan, who became the “biggest secret fan” after watching every Spirit game starting in March.

“There’s a cliche among people involved in English football that the NWSL is just a kick-and-run game, but that’s not what I’ve seen in training,” she says. “The league is very different to what people expect.” In Morgan’s eyes, Giraldez has clearly implemented his principles as a coach – a fast-paced possession style that is intense with and without the ball – which she says suits her very well.

When former NWSL and USWNT player Sam Mewis met Morgan in Manchester this year, she told her former teammate that if anyone was going to fit in the NWSL, it was her. When Mewis and Rose Lavelle made a brief cameo appearance across the pond with City in 2020, the players enlightened them on the rivalry between the two Manchester teams, and Morgan was informed of the budding rivalry between Gotham and the Spirit.

“Rose, from now on we must be friends and enemies,” Morgan smiles.

She describes herself as an “information sucker” on and off the court and is enjoying a new style of coaching. “I just want to absorb as much information as I can and try to be the best player I can be,” she says.

As well as studying Sport and Exercise Science by distance learning at Manchester Metropolitan University, she also enjoys exercising her brain, whether it’s with Wordle, The New York Times games, the language app Duolingo, arts and crafts or BBC News, the most used app on her phone. “I love hearing about anything new you have,” she says.

Her knowledge of America’s trivia will be tested with daily questions on the locker room board, and Morgan, who has only visited America once before on a trip to New York, is keen to explore local landmarks such as the Capitol, White House and Washington Monument, as well as the Grand Canyon.

But one thing at a time. Right now she just wants to settle in as quickly as possible and show what she can bring to the team. Ironically, her first test may be today against a familiar opponent. “I’ve literally travelled halfway around the world and my first game is Arsenal, crazy!” laughs Morgan.

Don’t let the infectiously cheerful personality fool you, Morgan is a fierce competitor and believes the Spirit has the right puzzle pieces to succeed.

“I want us to win the shield and then the championship,” she says. “I’m here to win everything.”

(Top photo: Washington Spirit)