Forgotten Footballer: Tony Morley

Tony Morley, the hero of Aston Villa's 1982 European Cup victory, was relatively a forgotten man.  He was one of the most exciting winger of his time.   He started his career with Preston North End, playing with Bobby Charlton.  The best of his career was spent in Aston Villa, where he joined in 1979 for 200,000 pounds. He was a skilful winger known for his spectacular goals.  In 1981, he scored against Everton, the club he supported as a child.  The goal would become the goal of the year in the English league.  At Aston Villa, he was known for his partnership with striker Peter Withe.  They won the League Championship in 1980–81 and the European Cup the year after. The winning goal against Bayern Munich in the final was scored by Withe after a skilful dribble and a cross from Morley.

Aston Villa winning the European Cup in 1982

That same year, Morley was selected for the provisional squad for the WC Finals in Spain, but Ron Greenwood did not select him for the final squad, despite Aston Villa the European Cup that year.  He opted for Graham Rix of Arsenal. The snub was a great disappointment for his career.  Some said that his career became a slow decline after that.  He would play in Holland, Hong Kong and the United States later in his career.

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.