Morgan Gibbs-White: “I put the little one to bed… I could be sat there for two hours, just scrolling, looking at fashion.”
Morgan Gibbs-White talks balance. Between football and family, fatherhood and fashion, the Nottingham Forest midfielder is finding his rhythm. Sitting down with GQ, the 25-year-old opens up about mental health, life as a young dad, his love for clothes, and why expression matters more than perfection.
Fatherhood First
“Having a baby is the best thing anyone can ever do – but it’s also the hardest,” says Morgan Gibbs-White in an interview with GQ, reflecting on the arrival of his son Greyson. “It really tests a relationship. Me and my missus have struggled a lot with our relationship. It’s only now Greyson’s getting a little bit older, we’re starting to do more things as a family together.” Life in Nottingham, far from extended family, wasn’t always smooth. The combination of a newborn and a struggling team took its toll. “You’re down. You’re depressed. My missus would be the first one to tell you that the past two seasons, she’s hated me. I come home from games angry, upset. She’s the one that has to see that side of it. It’s not all glory.” But now, with stability at home, he’s embracing the little moments. “This is where my first child was born. The club has shown me so much love. It’s a real warm place.”
Clothes as Therapy
For Gibbs-White, fashion isn’t just an interest, it’s an outlet. “I can get really carried away with it,” he admits. ”When putting the little one to bed… I could be sat there for two, three hours, just scrolling, looking at fashion, just having a look at different ideas, different fits.” Shopping is his happy place, even more than football’s tunnel walks. “If me and my missus get a weekend away somewhere, my first thought is to go shopping,” he says. “You know that saying, men always get fed up when shopping, but I’ll go shopping for my missus.” Impulse-driven but precise, Gibbs-White has built a wardrobe of more than 275 pairs of shoes, with tailoring so sharp his alterations guy doesn’t even need him to try things on anymore. His current obsessions? Acne Studios, Aimé Leon Dore, Studio Nicholson.
Mood Swings and Fits
His partner, Britney De Villiers, swears by one thing, a bad outfit can ruin his day. And he doesn’t deny it. When the fit works, he’s buzzing. When it doesn’t, frustration lingers. “It’s about being true to yourself. It’s just having fun and exploring,” he says. Fashion, for him, isn’t about flexing. It’s about energy. “Everyone is so different in their own way. That’s why I’ll never, ever criticise someone’s fashion. But that’s how they dress. That’s how they express themselves. That’s what they think looks good. And no one can ever tell them that their opinion is wrong.”
Expression Over Perfection
What becomes clear is that for Gibbs-White, off-pitch life is a canvas. Football might be his career, but fatherhood, mental health, and fashion are where his creativity flourishes. “You’ll never please everybody,” he shrugs. “It’s about being true to yourself. Just like life.”
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