COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — The Colorado Rapids announced today the club has signed English winger Morgan Whittaker from EFL Championship side Middlesbrough FC to a Designated Player contract through the 2029-30 MLS season, with a club option for 2030-31. Whittaker will take up an international roster slot and is expected to join the group pending the receipt of his P-1 Visa. The deal was completed prior to the close of the Secondary Transfer Window.
“Morgan is a proven difference-maker who will add outstanding quality and a significant attacking threat to our team,” said Colorado Rapids President Pádraig Smith. “His ability to both create and score goals from wide areas, combined with his vision, technical quality and decision-making, makes him an excellent fit for Matt’s game model. Morgan is entering the prime years of his career, and we believe he can make an immediate and significant impact in MLS. We are delighted to welcome him to Colorado.”
Whittaker, 25, joins Colorado after spending the past season with Middlesbrough, where he continued a multi-year stretch of success within the EFL Championship. This past season, the winger’s 14 goals marked a club-high in addition to being the fourth most in the league. Whittaker also tallied the second most assists for Middlesbrough last year with seven, bringing him to a club-high 21 total goal contributions during league play.
Prior to his stint with Middlesbrough, Whittaker was a member of Swansea City A.F.C but spent a large portion of that time on loan with Plymouth Argyle. In total, Whittaker played just under three seasons with Plymouth, starting during the 2022-23 EFL League One season. During that season, the winger logged nine goals and seven assists to help lead his side to promotion up to the Championship. The following year, Whittaker permanently transferred to Plymouth and posted the best numbers of his young career, logging club-highs in both goals (19) and assists (8).
“Morgan is a player that is going to bolster our attack immensely this season and for years to come,” said Colorado Rapids Head Coach Matt Wells. “His playing style is exactly what I look for in an attacker, and he has that individual magic that will help elevate us to the next level. His outputs speak for themselves in an incredibly competitive league such as the EFL Championship. He’s a player I know well from my time in England, and understanding how in demand he is, it speaks volumes about our project here that we’ve managed to secure his signature. This is a player who is going to be a foundational piece for this club, and the supporters will be able to see that as soon as he steps onto the pitch in a Rapids shirt.”
Whittaker came up through the Derby County youth system where he developed before eventually signing a First Team contract in 2019. Two years later, he made the move to Swansea where he made a total of 37 appearances over the course of three seasons due to multiple loan stints. Apart from his time with Plymouth, Whittaker was loaned to Lincoln City of EFL League One for the 2021-22 season, where he logged five goals and one assist over 20 appearances.
The Derby-born winger has had experience at the youth international level with England across various age groups. Whittaker appeared for the nation’s U-16, U-17, U-18, U-19, and U-20 sides over the course of three years, logging 17 total appearances.
TRANSACTION: The Colorado Rapids sign English winger Morgan Whittaker from EFL Championship side Middlesbrough FC to a Designated Player contract through the 2029-30 MLS season, with a club option for 2030-31. Whittaker will take up an international roster slot.
Morgan Whittaker
Position: Forward
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 152 lbs
Date of birth: January 7, 2001
Hometown: Derby, England
