Aaron Morley
{{short description|English footballer (born 2000)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Aaron Morley
| image = Aaron Morley 2017-10-14 (37658075976) (cropped).jpg
| caption = Morley playing for Rochdale U18s in 2017
| full_name = Aaron Paul Morley{{cite web |url=https://www.efl.com/siteassets/efl-documents/efl-professional-retain-list--free-transfers---2017-18.pdf |page=62|title=EFL Released and Retained List 2017-18 |publisher=English Football League |accessdate=18 July 2018}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2000|2|27|df=y}}
| birth_place = Bury, England
| height = {{convert|1.83|m|order=flip}}
| position = Midfielder
| currentclub = Bolton Wanderers
| clubnumber = 16
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = Manchester City
| youthyears2 =
| youthclubs2 = Bolton Wanderers
| youthyears3 = {{0|0000}}–2016
| youthclubs3 = Rochdale
| years1 = 2016–2022
| clubs1 = Rochdale
| caps1 = 93
| goals1 = 6
| years2 = 2022–
| clubs2 = Bolton Wanderers
| caps2 = 100
| goals2 = 9
| years3 = 2024–2025
| clubs3 = → Wycombe Wanderers (loan)
| caps3 = 19
| goals3 = 2
| club-update = 23:36, 5 January 2025 (UTC)
}}
Aaron Paul Morley (born 27 February 2000) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for {{English football updater|BoltonWa}} club Bolton Wanderers.
Career
=Early career=
Morley started his career in the academy of Manchester City and then later, the academy of Bolton Wanderers, before signing for the academy of Rochdale.{{Cite web|title=Wanderers Land Midfield Man Morley|url=https://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/2022/january/wanderers-land-midfield-man-morley/|access-date=11 January 2022|website=www.bwfc.co.uk|language=en-gb}}
=Rochdale=
After progressing through Rochdale's academy he first featured for the senior team during the 2016–17 pre-season campaign.{{Cite news|url=https://www.rochdaleafc.co.uk/news/2016/october/aaron-morley-makes-first-team-debut/|title=Aaron Morley Makes First-Team Debut|accessdate=15 October 2017|language=en-gb}} After being named as an unused substitute regularly in League One, Morley made his competitive debut in a 2–1 EFL Trophy victory over Notts County on 4 October 2016.{{Cite news|url=https://www.rochdaleafc.co.uk/news/2016/october/rochdale-2-1-notts-county-report/|title=Rochdale 2-1 Notts County: Report|accessdate=15 October 2017|language=en-gb}}
He made his league debut four days later in a 3–0 win over Southend United.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37526795|title=Rochdale 3-0 Southend United|date=8 October 2016|website=BBC Sport |accessdate=15 October 2017|language=en-GB}} Morley also had a five-minute cameo in Rochdale's 2–0 FA Cup victory over Maidstone United, playing as a left-winger rather than his preferred central role.{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37905355|title=Rochdale 2-0 Maidstone United|date=15 November 2016|website=BBC Sport |accessdate=15 October 2017|language=en-GB}}
Morley made a further three appearances for the club during the season – in two EFL Trophy matches and one league fixture.{{Cite web |title=Aaron Morley |url=https://www.rochdaleafc.co.uk/teams/first-team/midfielder/aaron-morley/ |access-date=22 October 2020 |website=www.rochdaleafc.co.uk |publisher=Rochdale A.F.C. |language=en-gb |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919192558/https://www.rochdaleafc.co.uk/teams/first-team/midfielder/aaron-morley/ |archive-date=19 September 2020 |url-status=dead}}
On 1 March 2017, he signed his first professional contract with the club following his 17th birthday.{{Cite news|url=https://www.rochdaleafc.co.uk/news/2017/march/aaron-morley-signs-first-professional-contract/|title=Aaron Morley Signs First Professional Contract|accessdate=15 October 2017|language=en-gb}}
He was offered a new contract by Rochdale at the end of the 2018–19 season.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48204076|title=Aaron Wilbraham: Rochdale offer forward, 39, new deal|date=8 May 2019|accessdate=9 May 2019|website=BBC Sport}}
On 28 June 2019, Morley signed a new three-year contract with Rochdale.{{cite web|url=https://www.rochdaleafc.co.uk/news/2019/june/aaron-morley_new-contract/|title=Aaron Morley Signs New Three-Year Deal|date=28 June 2019|accessdate=28 June 2019|publisher=Rochdale AFC}}
=Bolton Wanderers=
On 11 January 2022, it was announced Morley had re-signed for Bolton Wanderers, having previously played in the Bolton Wanderers academy as a child, and signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with EFL League One team. He signed for an undisclosed fee which reported by The Bolton News to be around £100,000.[https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/19839959.bolton-wanderers-snap-aaron-morley-rochdale-six-figure-deal/ The Bolton News: "Bolton Wanderers snap up Aaron Morley from Rochdale in six-figure deal"] He made his debut on 15 January in a 2–0 home win against Ipswich Town. On 2 April, he started in the 2023 EFL Trophy Final which Bolton won 4–0 against Plymouth Argyle.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65088981 |title=Bolton Wanderers 4–0 Plymouth Argyle |first=Brent |last=Pilnick |website=BBC Sport |date=2 April 2023 |access-date=2 April 2023}} On 28 December 2023, he signed a new contract until 2027.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67836399 Aaron Morley: Bolton Wanderers midfielder signs new deal until June 2027]
On 23 August 2024, Morley joined fellow League One side Wycombe Wanderers on a season-long loan deal.{{cite web|url=https://www.wwfc.com/news/2024/august/23/morley-makes-move-to-adams-park/|title=Morley makes move to Adams Park|website=www.wwfc.com|date=23 August 2024|accessdate=23 August 2024}} By January, Morley had helped Wycombe to the top of the table, leading Bolton to exercise a break clause and recall him from his loan on 1 January.{{cite web |url=https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/24826670.bolton-wanderers-recall-aaron-morley-make-two-new-bids/ |title=Bolton Wanderers recall Aaron Morley and make two new bids |first=Marc |last=Iles |website=Bolton News |date=1 January 2025 |access-date=1 January 2025}} He subsequently scored an injury time winner on his first game back away at Exeter City, three days after he had done same thing against the same opponents for Wycombe.{{cite web |url=https://www.wwfc.com/news/2025/january/01/matchday-wycombe-vs-exeter/|title=Report: Wycombe 2-1 Exeter |website=wwfc.com |date=1 January 2025 |access-date=4 January 2025}}{{cite web |url=https://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/report-exeter-city-1-wanderers-2|title=REPORT Exeter City 1 Wanderers 2 |website=bwfc.com |date=4 January 2025 |access-date=4 January 2025}}
Career statistics
{{updated|match played 7 May 2024}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|FA Cup !colspan="2"|EFL Cup !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="7"|Rochdale
|2016–17{{Soccerbase season|id=94489|season=2016|accessdate=1 January 2017}} |2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3{{efn|name=flt|Appearances in the EFL Trophy}} | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2017–18{{Soccerbase season|id=94489|season=2017|accessdate=4 September 2017}}
|League One |0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2018–19{{Soccerbase season|id=94489|season=2018|accessdate=10 August 2019}}
|League One |3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4{{efn|name=flt}} | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2019–20{{Soccerbase season|id=94489|season=2019|accessdate=10 August 2019}}
|League One |23 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2{{efn|name=flt}} | 0 | 32 | 5 | |
| 2020–21{{Soccerbase season|id=94489|season=2020|accessdate=5 September 2020}}
|League One |44 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3{{efn|name=flt}} | 0 | 50 | 2 | |
| 2021–22{{Soccerbase season|id=94489|season=2021|accessdate=30 July 2021}}
|21 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 2 | |
| colspan="2"|Total
!93 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 121 | 9 | |
| rowspan="4"|Bolton Wanderers
|League One |21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 1 | |
| 2022–23{{Soccerbase season|id=94489|season=2022|accessdate=3 July 2022}}
|League One |41 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8{{Efn|Six appearances in the EFL Trophy, two appearances in the League One play-offs}} | 2 | 50 | 6 | |
| 2023–24{{Soccerbase season|id=94489|season=2023|accessdate=5 August 2023}}
|League One |37 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7{{Efn|Six appearances in the EFL Trophy, one appearance in the League One play-offs}} | 2 | 50 | 5 | |
| colspan="2"|Total
!99 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 4 | 121 | 12 | |
| colspan="3"|Career total
!192 | 14 | 14 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 27 | 4 | 242 | 21 |
{{notelist}}
Honours
Bolton Wanderers
References
{{reflist}}
{{commons category}}
{{Bolton Wanderers F.C. squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morley, Aaron}}
Category:English men's footballers
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Manchester City F.C. players
Category:Bolton Wanderers F.C. players
Category:Rochdale A.F.C. players
Category:Wycombe Wanderers F.C. players
Category:English Football League players