As a ball-playing center back, Esme Morgan takes pride in her ability to hit all manner of passes — short, midrange, downfield. But off the pitch, the Washington Spirit defender has a particular affinity for playing the long game.
Take cross stitch, the 23-year-old England native’s hobby of choice, and her current months-long commitment to threading together an intricate design of the British Isles. Morgan also exudes patience in her pursuit of a sports and exercise science degree from Manchester Metropolitan University, where the self-described “geek” is taking remote classes with an eye toward her post-playing career. And the big picture informed her decision to head stateside in the first place, after she spent the first seven years of her professional career with Manchester City, her decorated childhood club.