Sam Morsy

Sam Morsy

File:Sam Morsy.png Morsy warming up for Port Vale before the match against Northampton Town on 20 April 2013.
Personal information
Full name	Samy Sayed Morsy
Date of birth	(1991-09-10) 10 September 1991
Place of birth	Wolverhampton, England
Height
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Chesterfield
Number	5
Youth career
1999–2008	Wolverhampton Wanderers
2008–2009	Port Vale
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2009–2013	Port Vale	71	(4)
2013–	Chesterfield	97	(6)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:42, 9 January 2016 (UTC)

Samy Sayed "Sam" Morsy (born 10 September 1991) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Chesterfield.

He joined the Port Vale youth set-up in 2008, having been released from the Wolverhampton Wanderers Academy. Winning his debut in February 2010, he turned professional at the club in the summer. He established himself in the first team picture in 2010–11, after which he was given a two-year contract. He helped the club to secure promotion out of League Two in 2012–13. He joined Chesterfield in July 2013, and played for the club in the 2014 final of the Football League Trophy, helping them to win the League Two title in 2013–14.

Playing career

Port Vale

Morsy was at the Wolverhampton Wanderers Academy for nine years until 2008, when coach Tony Lacey deemed a sixteen-year-old Morsy to be unworthy of a youth contract. Spotted by Port Vale Youth Development Officer Bill Chetwyn, he was taken to Vale Park for a trial, and was handed a place in the Vale youth team after impressing both Mark Grew and Andy Porter.

"He is going to be a good midfield player, there is no question about that. After scoring two against Tranmere, I thought he showed what a good player he is in this game. Maybe he has too many touches at times and gives the ball away, but he keeps wanting it and he wants to learn."

— Mark Grew speaking of Morsy in September 2008.

By the start of the 2009–10 season, he was being included in the senior squad, being placed on the bench for the League Cup clash with Sheffield United at Bramall Lane. He made his debut on 23 February, replacing Tommy Fraser 83 minutes into a 4–0 home league win over Lincoln City. He was offered his first (one year) professional contract at the end of the season, and was also given the Youth Player of the Year award.

In the 2010–11 pre-season, manager Micky Adams was pleased with Morsy's development, having witnessed the youngster score in two successive friendlies. Morsy promised he would not settle for a cameo role in the season, having just a year to prove his worth at the professional level. On 8 January, new manager Jim Gannon gave Morsy an appearance in Vale's 4–2 FA Cup defeat to Championship side Burnley at Turf Moor. He scored his first senior goal on 22 February, in a 3–1 home defeat to Stevenage. Gannon believed Morsy to be "a really talented footballer" with "all the skills you want in a midfielder". One of the few positives of Gannon's short reign, his rise to prominence put him in line to sign an extended contract. A two-year contract was signed on 1 April. He was also awarded with the club's Young Player of the Year award.

Finding himself on the bench at the start of the 2011–12 campaign under returning manager Micky Adams, on 3 September he scored his second senior goal just thirteen minutes after making his first appearance of the season, in what turned out to be a 3–2 defeat to AFC Wimbledon. After falling out of favour in November, he had to wait another two months until the return fixture with Wimbledon before he started another game, when an injury crisis at the Vale allowed Morsy the chance to deliver "an eye-catching attacking display".

Following the departure of Anthony Griffith, Morsy stepped into the role of 'midfield enforcer' for the 2012–13 campaign. On 25 August, he opened the scoring after just 14 seconds in a 3–1 win over Morecambe at the Globe Arena. He stated that his aim for the season was "to get more goals", as he formed a "formidable and unshakeable central midfield double act" with Chris Shuker. However after picking up a suspension in October for receiving five yellow cards, he admitted that "I definitely have to cut down on yellow cards in future". However a "stupid" high two-footed tackle on Rochdale's Jason Kennedy resulted in a straight red for Morsy on 6 November, and was the turning point that left a 2–0 lead for the Vale becoming a 2–2 draw, meaning two points were dropped at home. An angry Micky Adams fined him two-week's wages (the maximum fine possible) in punishment, and called him a "coward... [who] went to hurt their lad [Kennedy]". Morsy issued an official apology, but insisted that "there was no malice in the challenge". Adams kept him out of the first team picture for six weeks after the incident, and Morsy stated that "I missed some important matches and that makes you re-evaluate your game." He was more of a bit-part player in the second half of the campaign, as Vale secured promotion with a third-place finish. He rejected the offer of a new two-year contract, and left the club.

Chesterfield

File:Sam Morsy 2014.jpg

Morsy playing for Chesterfield in 2014.

Morsy agreed to sign a two-year deal with League Two side Chesterfield in July 2013, after a fee had been settled with Port Vale, due to Morsy being under the age of 24. Manager Paul Cook said that "When we found out that he may be available, we moved heaven and earth to get him here." On 30 March 2014, he played at Wembley Stadium in Chesterfield's 3–1 defeat to Peterborough United in the final of the Football League Trophy; he provided the assist for Eoin Doyle's goal after "a powerful run into the Posh box". He played a total of 39 games as the "Spireites" won promotion as divisional champions in 2013–14, and at the end of the campaign he was voted the club's Player of the Year.

He captained Chesterfield to the League One play-offs in 2014–15, and was reported to be a target for Cardiff City manager Russell Slade in the summer. Milton Keynes Dons also had a bid of £400,000 turned down by Chesterfield.

Style of play

Morsy is an "enforcer" who "relies on his ability to time tackles and break-up play". After leaving Port Vale in June 2013, assistant manager Mark Grew warned Morsy to improve his disciplinary record and temper his aggression in the future, pointing out that he received nine yellow cards and one red card in the 2012–13 campaign.

Personal life

Morsy's father is Egyptian.

Statistics

As of match played 2 January 2016.

Season	Club	Division	League		FA Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
2009–10	Port Vale	League Two	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
2010–11			16	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	17	1
2011–12			26	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	28	1
2012–13			28	2	1	0	1	0	2	0	32	2
Total			71	4	4	0	1	0	2	0	78	4
2013–14	Chesterfield	League Two	34	1	0	0	1	0	4	1	39	2
2014–15		League One	39	2	6	0	1	0	2	0	48	2
2015–16			23	3	3	0	1	0	0	0	27	3
Total			96	6	9	0	3	0	6	1	114	7
Career total			167	10	13	0	4	0	8	1	192	11

Honours

Individual

• Port Vale F.C. Youth Player of the Year: 2010
• Port Vale F.C. Young Player of the Year: 2011
• Chesterfield F.C. Player of the Year: 2013–14

with Port Vale

• Staffordshire Senior Cup runner-up: 2010
• Football League Two third-place promotion: 2012–13

with Chesterfield

• Football League Trophy runner-up: 2014
• Football League Two champion: 2013–14

External links

• Sam Morsy career statistics at Soccerbase