The Story So Far | Ella Morris

Ella Morris became our second signing of the summer transfer window, with the defender making the move to north London following the expiration of her contract at Southampton.

From progressing through the ranks at Saints to become a regular starter in the FA Women’s Championship to shining on the international stage as a young Lioness, we take a look at the defender’s career so far.

Player profile

Age: 21

Position: Defender

Nationality: England

Previous clubs: Southampton

Foot: Right

Watch - First Interview | Ella Morris

Progressing through the ranks

Having joined the Saints at the age of 14, it only took two years for Ella to progress into the first team, making her senior debut during the 2018/19 campaign as she stepped up from the under-16s.

Ella would make seven appearances in that season, scoring two goals, and helped her side to go invincible in the Southern Region Women’s Football League, the fifth tier of the Women’s football pyramid, to be promoted to the FA Women’s National League.

She would go on to have a standout campaign in her first full season as a senior player, winning Southampton Women’s Player of the Season, as well as Player’s Player of the Season, although the season was curtailed earlier than expected due to COVID.

Rising through the football pyramid

Although the 2020/21 campaign got back underway it would only last for the four opening games as the season was curtailed once again due to COVID, however, Southampton were granted promotion to FA Women’s National League Southern Premier Division for the next term.

Ella featured in all but four games for Southampton in the Southern Premier Division, as they finished top of the table and went into the play-off fixture with Northern Premier Division champions, Wolverhampton Wanderers, beating them 1-0 at Stockport County’s Edgeley Pak to secure promotion to the FA Women's Championship for the first time in their history.

The defender netted seven goals in all competitions, four in the league, and one of her most memorable goals of her career came in the Women’s FA Cup as she grabbed the winning goal in the 1-0 victory over FA Women’s Championship side Bristol City in the fourth round proper.

Across the two seasons in the Championship, Ella would make 41 appearances overall, scoring four goals, and inspired the South coast club to a fourth-placed finish last season, ending seven points off eventual champions Crystal Palace.

Roaring as a young Lioness

Ella has been a prominent figure in the England youth set-up, representing at the age groups Under-15s, Under-16s, Under-17s, Under-18s, Under-19s and, most recently, Under-23s.

She was part of the final squad to compete in the Under-17 Women’s European Championship in May 2019, where the young Lionesses narrowly missed out on the knockout stages after finishing third in the group. The defender started in all three group games against Germany, Austria and the Netherlands.

The defender received her first call-up to the Under-23s in February, 2023, and made her debut at that level just two months later in a goalless draw with Belgium in an international friendly. Since then, Ella has made nine appearances for the Under-23s, starting in their previous outing as they ran out 3-1 winners over Sweden at New Bucks Head Stadium back in April, 2024.