IT’S been an incredible turnaround in fortunes for one Scotland star.
After a highly frustrating 2023, he’s bounced back to rejuvenate his career and has now landed an award once scooped by a certain David Beckham.
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After bursting onto the scene at St Mirren as a teenager, Lewis Morgan got his big break by moving to Celtic in 2018.
It ultimately didn’t work out at Parkead for Morgan, who wound p making just 14 Scottish Premiership appearances for the club
A loan spell at Sunderland in 2019 was followed by a dramatic career move in 2020 when Morgan decided to try his luck across the Atlantic.
He joined Inter Miami in 2020 and after two excellent campaigns in Florida, made a move to New York Red Bulls in 2022.
His maiden campaign in the Big Apple reaped huge rewards, with Morgan finding a prolific scoring touch.
He netted 18 times in 37 appearances and was hoping to go from strength to strength the following campaign.
However, injury struck and he was restricted to just six appearances in the entire 2023 season after requiring surgery on a hip injury.
Morgan got himself fit for the 2024 campaign and what an outstanding season he had.
Once again becoming prolific, he fired a hat-trick against his former employers Inter Miami in March and found the net 13 times in 32 games.
Capped twice by Scotland back in 2018, Morgan’s stunning form earned him a shock recall to the national team for the Euro 2024 squad.
He’s been a regular in Steve Clarke‘s setup since and has now upped his tally of caps to seven.
The Red Bulls reached the play-offs and have advanced to the Eastern Conference semi-finals.
If they win that, they’ll advance to the Conference Final with a place in the MLS Cup Final on the line.
But while those potential accolades are still to be played for, Morgan himself has landed a huge personal honour.
He’s been named the MLS Comeback Player of the Year for 2024.
An award given out for the past 25 years, it’s presented to a player who has managed to overcome serious injury or a career slump to rejuvenate their career.
And it’s Morgan who this year has been recognised for his return from injury to sparkling form.
The award win puts him in good company, too!
Iconic former England captain David Beckham won the award in 2011 during his time at LA Galaxy.
An Achilles injury suffered while on loan at AC Milan had wrecked his 2010 season, before he came roaring back to lead Galaxy to the MLS title in 2011.
Beckham, incidentally, is the owner of Inter Miami who first took Morgan to MLS.
Former Real Madrid and Argentina superstar Gonzalo Higuain is also a former recipient of the gong, having won it 2022.
Bradley Wright-Phillips, the all-time record goalscorer for the New York Red Bulls, has also scooped the award.
He is, of course, the son of former Celtic striker Ian.
Ex-Fulham and Tottenham hero Clint Dempsey is among the other winners of the award.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
Morgan, 28, will once again be linking up with the Scotland squad next week.
He’s part of Steve Clarke’s set up for the closing Nations League matches against Croatia and Portugal later this month.
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