Former Celtic winger Lewis Morgan managed to secure a spot in the MLS playoffs less than a year after he left Celtic for Inter Miami.
Morgan was often on the outside looking in at Parkhead, accumulating 31 appearances in two years (Transfermarkt). However, despite his Parkhead struggles, the left-winger has managed to make a name for himself with his new club in the States.
David Beckham’s new franchise outfit are playing in their debut campaign as a football club, and Morgan has been at the heart of things with 22 appearances to his name this season and nine direct goal contributions.
The MLS regular season came to an end over the weekend, with Miami securing a massive 2-1 win against Cincinnati at home. That was enough to secure them a top 10 spot in the Eastern Conference and a route into the playoffs.
Morgan’s Miami will now travel to Nashville on November 20th, where a win would secure them a spot in the MLS Playoffs proper against Philadelphia Union.
Morgan finally realising his potential
For one reason or another it just didn’t work at Parkhead, but Morgan has found a club that’s clearly right for him as he continues to make big strides in Florida.
Granted, Miami are a tad fortunate this year given the MLS announced an expansion of the playoff system. In any other year, Morgan’s side wouldn’t have made the Audi MLS playoffs as 10th would normally not be a high enough spot to secure a place. In recent years, only the top six from the Eastern and Western conferences have qualified for the tournament.
However, Morgan and his side have taken advantage of it, and it remains a fine achievement for them given that it’s their first season as a professional football club with a totally new squad thrown together.
The Celtic treble-treble winner, whose side still has some way to go before they can be considered genuine contenders for the MLS Cup, has also found himself playing with the iconic Gonzalo Higauin in what was a major coup for the Miami outfit.
So it’s fair to say that Morgan will feel he made the right decision in swapping Glasgow for Florida. He’ll feel he’s part of something that could be really special over the next few years. But even so, there can be no regrets from a Celtic perspective regardless of what Morgan achieves with Beckham’s Inter.
Lewis had his opportunities to shine here, and he simply didn’t take them. Regardless of that, it’s still great to see him doing well and shooting Miami into the playoffs – a fine achievement for his first season in the USA.
In other news, a struggling Celtic star is set for a chat with his international manager after a frustrating start to life in Glasgow.
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