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Morgan Whittaker: The Devon Dynamo

June 1, 2024
Player Analysis, EFL Championship Analysis

Morgan Whittaker’s first full season for Plymouth Argyle has been nothing short of a success. Whittaker was the bright spark in an Argyle team full of young talents attempting to secure survival in the club’s first Championship season since 2010. Whilst the Green Army only managed to narrowly avoid relegation, Morgan Whittaker’s impact simply cannot be denied. The 23-year-old’s talent was on full display in a struggling side, just imagine what he could do in one of the League’s leading teams. 

 

Whittaker originally pulled on the green shirt of Argyle in the 22/23 season, being loaned out to the then League One outfit in a campaign that saw them win the league under Steven Schumacher. The Englishman notched nine goals and seven assists in 25 League One games but couldn’t stick around to see his side win the league.

 

Parent club Swansea City saw the talent and recalled him to give him his first taste of consistent Championship football. Whittaker scored one goal for Swansea in 15 Championship appearances, signing off a successful season and his Swansea career.

 

 

The forward joined the club where he saw his most success in 2023 on a £1 Million deal. Whittaker was once again the star of the show on Plymouth’s return to the Championship. Their 3-1 home win against Huddersfield saw Whittaker score and assist to kick off their season in style.

 

Fast forward to the culmination of the season, and the man from Derby has scored 20 and assisted eight in 50 games this season. Whittaker came third in the top goal scorer charts capping off a memorable season in which the spotlight was truly on him.

 

The season was capped off with a place in the Championship Team of the Season, alongside the league’s best. Whittaker occupied the right side in this team, a position no one can debate was well deserved for a star who was making his name in England. 

 

 

The form of Whittaker throughout the season attracted interest from major clubs, with Italian top-flight side Lazio being the most notable of clubs linked to Whittaker’s signature. Whilst nothing has come of the rumours yet, the link to such a huge club shows the progress this young man is making.

 

 

Whittaker started his career at hometown club Derby County, playing in the club’s academy before eventually making his debut in August 2019. Whittaker made an 87th-minute substitute appearance as County beat Scunthorpe in the EFL cup. Whittaker made 21 Championship appearances in his debut year with his first goal coming in a 3-1 away win at Birmingham City on the season’s final day. 

 

February 2021 saw Whittaker leave his hometown club for South Wales, as he joined Swansea City on a four-and-a-half-year deal. His impact didn’t take long, scoring only nine days after signing in a 3-1 loss to Manchester City. His first league goal came against Derby County, the team he only left months earlier.  A 2-1 Swansea win kept Derby in a battle that would eventually see them relegated from the Championship. 

 

Whittaker started the next season on fire for Swansea. A hat trick against Plymouth, potentially foreshadowing where he would have his most success, brought serious attention to the incredible amount of talent he has. The first half of the season wasn’t quite the standard that Whittaker would have hoped for. The attacker dropped a division, going on loan to Lincoln City in January 2022.

 

 

He only spent half a season with Lincoln, joining Plymouth later that year and starting his catapult to one of the EFL’s next stars. Throughout his time at Plymouth so far, Whittaker has won both the League One and Championship Player of the Month awards, with the latter being awarded for Whittaker scoring in four out of five Argyle Championship matches in January.

 

Typically operating on the right of a front three, Whittaker has been one of the leading players in the league this season. He has accumulated 27 goal contributions (19 goals and 8 assists) in 46 Championship matches and displayed his ever-present nature for the Argyle, something his teammates will appreciate as they build towards being a Championship regular with Wayne Rooney linked to being their next permanent manager.

 

Whittaker was a nuisance for any defence in the Championship, recording 3.8 shots per game, the joint most in the like being tied with Jaidon Anthony. This puts Whittaker in the 98th percentile of shots per game across Europe’s major leagues, a serious margin to be involved with.

 

 

Statistically, Whittaker hasn’t been a leader in any metric, but his class is shown on the pitch and not on paper. The 23-year-old boasts an exceptional ability to receive the ball on the right and skip past any player with ease before finding a progressive pass, regularly linking up with the wingback and playing to the strengths of Plymouth’s system. Whittaker always looks to be positive and never gives the opposition full back any time to rest.

 

The Englishman’s 6’0 frame, and incredible technical ability makes him a nightmare for defenders to tackle as he uses his strength and size well. Whittaker always looks for space, constantly switching between the right and central areas of the pitch when making progressive runs into the box.

 

His ability to finish any chance that comes his way, whether that’s wrapping the ball into the corner from 25 yards out or tapping home from the six-yard box makes him the deadly threat that has set this year’s Championship season alight.

 

 

A summer move for Whittaker would surprise no one. The young man must be on the radar of top Championship and Premier League clubs looking to add an explosive young talent to their ranks, is it just a matter of time before we see him in England’s top-flight?

 

Swansea fans will be disappointed they let the Derby-born star leave their ranks, but sometimes it just isn’t meant to be. Plymouth have given Whittaker the platform to show his talents and he has repaid them with stellar performances. A big price tag will be on his head and understandably as he is a player loved by everyone at the club. As the famous saying goes, if you love someone let them go, and this could well be the case for Morgan Whittaker in the summer of 2024.

 

By: Josh Wright / @joshwrightt12__

Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA / Getty Images

 

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