LUTON WINGER MORGAN MAKES LEYTON ORIENT LOAN SWITCH

Luton Town winger Dean Morgan has joined League One side Leyton Orient on a loan deal until January.

The Hatters midfielder has been deemed surplus to requirements by manager Mick Harford and has subsequently signed the deal to go to Brisbane Road on loan until the New Year.

Leyton Orient manager Martin Ling said, “I’m very pleased to have Morgan on board. He is a player who comes here with a good reputation – he went out on loan to Southend and Crewe last season and did very well at those clubs.

“The reason he hasn’t been playing for Luton this year is all to do with finances and nothing to do with ability.

“He’s here for five months and if he produces what we know he’s capable of we hope to offer him something more permanent.”

A pacy and energetic striker, Morgan joined Luton Town on a two-year deal from Reading on a free transfer after being informed that he was surplus to requirements at the Madejski Stadium following Reading’s £1 million signing of Bristol City’s Leroy Lita.

He began his career with Colchester United, progressing through the youth academy at Layer Road and making his senior debut during the 2000-01 season as a substitute at Northampton Town after some impressive performances for the U’s youth team. He went on to make a further three substitute appearances prior to the end of the season.

The 2001-02 campaign saw Morgan continue to establish himself as a first-team squad member with Colchester United and he made 30 League appearances for the U’s, an incredible 29 of those coming as a substitute! Although he failed to find the net at senior level during the campaign, he caught the eye with his pace and enthusiasm and he would go on to become a big favourite at Layer Road the following season.

Scoring his first goal at senior level to defeat promotion hopefuls Wigan Athletic, Morgan then bagged another five goals during the season – including a brace in a win at Notts County and the winner as Colchester United claimed a victory over the Hatters at Kenilworth Road.

However, after a total of 6 goals in 71 League appearances for Colchester United, he decided that he would seek a new club at the end of the season and, after a trial spell with the Hatters, he joined Reading on a free transfer after a successful trial spell with the Royals.

Unfortunately for Morgan, he never fully established himself as a first-team regular at the Madejski Stadium and during his first campaign with the Royals, the 2003-04 season, he made just 15 first-team appearances, scoring one goal – a last-minute winner at Cardiff City after coming on as a 67th minute substitute.

He netted another two goals the following season – once again against Cardiff City and a consolation in a 1-4 drubbing at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

However, following the arrival of Leroy Lita at the Madejski Stadium for a then Reading club record fee of £1 million, Royals boss Steve Coppell told Morgan he was surplus to requirements. A player highly-rated by then Hatters manager Mike Newell, he penned a two-year deal with Luton Town after a total of 3 goals in 31 League matches for Reading.

Morgan’s first season with Luton Town was quite a strange one – although he showed moments of brilliance and scored the “Goal of the Season”, he also sometimes flattered to deceive and arguably had times when he didn’t seem interested and looked to have an attitude problem.

Perhaps just one of those players who looks uninterested when actually he isn’t, Morgan began the season in the side, playing on the left-wing, and he made himself an immediate favourite with the Hatters fans when scoring a wonderful solo goal in injury-time to beat former Premiership side Southampton 3-2 at Kenilworth Road. Cutting in the from left and onto his right-foot, Morgan shimmied and turned two Saints defenders before firing the ball into the top corner and past the despairing dive of Finnish international goalkeeper Antti Niemi. The goal earned him the award of “Goal of the Season” at the end of the campaign.

Just two games later and Morgan was back on the score sheet when he fired home an unstoppable drive in a 1-2 loss at Stoke City when referee Andy D’Urso sent off Hatters striker Steve Howard for an alleged spitting incident.

Having made an excellent start to his Luton Town career, Morgan was a regular in the side, operating on the left-wing in the absence of the injured Sol Davis, which meant Paul Underwood operated behind him at left-back. Scoring twice in as many matches at the beginning of October, in a 1-3 loss at Crewe Alexandra, and in a 2-1 win at Cardiff City, where he scored another unstoppable left-footed drive, Morgan looked a classy and pacy winger. However, many Hatters fans knew there had to be a reason why he wasn’t already playing at Premiership level.

They were soon to find out as Morgan endured frustrating games where he just didn’t seem to get going and for Luton fans, it was extremely annoying to see a player who clearly had talent not affect games when perhaps he should.

Relegated to the bench following the return to fitness of Sol Davis, Morgan scored in a 4-1 home win over Crewe Alexandra in late November 2005 and he was to score once more before the end of the season – against his former club Reading. As if the script had already been written, he was given a starting place against the Championship leaders on a cold February night in front of the Sky television cameras. With Reading set to break a League record for matches undefeated, Morgan had other ideas as he cut in from the left-hand side and fired low, right-footed into the bottom corner and past Marcus Hahnemann at the Kenilworth Road end.

Making 36 League appearances during the season (11 as a substitute) Morgan undoubtedly had talent and if he could channel it in the right way he could well have been an excellent player at Championship level.

Morgan endured a frustrating and rather disappointing 2006-07 season in a campaign that was also very poor for Luton Town as a Club as the Hatters were relegated from the Championship.

Always a regular member of the squad, Morgan usually operated on the left-wing when he appeared and he was, as he had been the previous season, in and out of the side due to his inconsistency. He scored his first goal of the season in the second match of the campaign when he came off the bench to give Luton a 2-0 lead at Norwich City – only for the Hatters to throw it away and lose 2-3!

A further goal in the League Cup at Brentford was added to with strikes against Sunderland (1-2), Coventry City (3-1) and Leicester City (1-1). With five goals to his name for the season, Morgan could have added to the tally but he missed a last-minute penalty in a crucial relegation battle at Leeds United in mid-March 2007.

Signed by Mike Newell, he still featured under new boss Kevin Blackwell when Newell had been sacked as Luton Town manager, but he was unable to help the Hatters avoid relegation from the Championship.

Morgan had a poor and inconsistent 2007-08 season for Luton Town, a campaign that resulted in the Hatters finishing bottom of League One and suffering a second consecutive relegation.

A campaign beset with problems both on and off the field, which saw the Hatters go into administration in November 2007 and automatically deducted 10 League points as a result, Morgan did little to endear himself to Luton fans with some lacklustre performances.

A bit-part player for most of the season, Morgan was on the fringes of manager Kevin Blackwell's side for the early part of the season, but, unable to force his way into the first-team on a regular basis, he was loaned to League One rivals Southend United in November 2007. He made 11 appearances in all competitions for the Shrimpers, scoring 3 goals - all of them coming in the FA Cup - as he netted in victories over Oxford United and Dagenham & Redbridge.

Returning to Kenilworth Road in mid-January 2008 following the departure of Kevin Blackwell, and the appointment of Luton legend Mick Harford, Morgan made several fleeting appearances as the Hatters were doomed to relegation to League Two.

Reportedly one of the highest paid players at Kenilworth Road, Morgan was loaned by Harford to relegation rivals Crewe Alexandra in early March 2008, where he made 9 League appearances, scoring 1 goal for the Railwaymen in a 3-0 win at Gillingham.

A player with undoubted ability, the Hatters fans continue to raise question marks over Morgan's attitude and he now appears to be out of manager Mick Harford's plans.
Story date: Thursday, August 28, 2008