The attacker came through the Ibrox academy but didn’t think twice about joining the Hoops
07:00, 07 May 2026
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Not many people grow up as a Rangers season-ticket holder – and end up pulling on the green and white hoops.
Or so you’d think.
Lewis Morgan’s journey from the stands at Ibrox Park to becoming a Celtic star might sound unusual.
To most diehards, it’s unthinkable. But the truth is, it’s far from rare in Glasgow.
A self-confessed Gers fan, Morgan couldn’t say no when Celts came calling in January 2018.
An explosive breakout year at St Mirren had turned him into one of the hottest prospects in the country.
Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers even labelled the rising star as the future of the Scottish game.
So it came as no surprise when the ex-Rangers youth hopeful was handed the chance to swap Championship football for the champions of Scotland.
Even if it meant putting personal allegiances aside.
Morgan told Record Sport : “Yeah, obviously pretty controversial. I mean, I was never going to come out and lie and say, ‘Oh, I supported Celtic.’
“Scotland’s a goldfish bowl. I would have been outed in five minutes if I said that.
“I feel like when you’re a footballer, it’s obviously completely different. Your job every day is to try and do the best for the club that is employing you.
“That’s really how I thought about it from a football development standpoint and playing.
“When I was younger, I came through the Rangers academy and obviously wanted to break through there and wasn’t able to do so.
Lewis Morgan in action against Rangers(Image: SNS Group)
“But I was a season ticket holder my whole life. Then it’s just trying to separate football from the team you support, to you’ve actually got a job to do.”
Of course, Morgan isn’t alone.
Plenty have been born and raised with one set of colours before making their name in another.
Sir Kenny Dalglish and Danny McGrain both had Ibrox leanings before becoming Celtic icons.
Across the city, Neil McCann and, most famously, Mo Johnston ended up in title-winning Rangers teams.
Morgan insists there are countless more flying under the radar.
That’s why he didn’t think twice about sacrificing his boyhood loyalties to join Celtic.
He said: “It’s hard to go back and remember exactly what you’re thinking. It was trying to separate the two.
“What I would say is that naturally Rangers and Celtic are the two biggest clubs in Scotland.
“I’m not one of those people that say everyone is on one side of the divide because St Mirren fans just support St Mirren and probably hate when people say, ‘Oh, but who’s your second team?’
“Without outing and saying names, there’s obviously a ton of guys in both changing rooms, Rangers players that are Celtic fans and Celtic players that are Rangers fans.
“It’s impossible to avoid in Scotland when half the people you meet might be a Rangers fan, half are Celtic fans.
“There’s always going to be a crossover there. With me, maybe because I was in the Rangers academy and it was well known that I was a Rangers fan, it probably got a little bit more attention.
“But there’s certainly way more. There are hundreds more that people may not know of.
Lewis Morgan at Rangers as a kid(Image: SNS Group 0141 221 3602)
“But when you’re at a club, you’re just trying to do the best you can for that team.
“And of course, I know now that I’ve probably closed the door to playing for Rangers.
“But I was also at Rangers for eight, nine years and was released from there.
“So maybe at the time, if I think back on it, maybe it was wanting to prove people wrong that were there at the time that deemed me not good enough.
“I can’t really remember in terms of what I was exactly feeling at the time, but probably it was just from a developmental standpoint, wanting to go somewhere that I was going to learn and get better as a player.”
Celtic fans welcomed Morgan like he was one of their own. But the 29-year-old – who is now back in the blue corner – joked that those closest to him weren’t quite as forgiving.
Asked if he copped any flak, Morgan laughed: “Definitely from friends and family for sure. Like I say, in the changing room, there might be five, six guys that are in the same position as me.
“So it’s not uncommon when you’re in the changing room. I don’t think I ever got any stick from the guys in the dressing room, but definitely from friends and family would have been probably shocked.
“I’m sure they were giving me a bit at the time.”
Lewis Morgan hasn’t looked back since moving Stateside(Image: SNS Group)
Morgan showed flashes of his potential at Celtic. However, by his own admission, he never quite delivered on it.
After two goals and 31 appearances, Morgan decided to chase the American Dream by joining Inter Miami in January 2020.
Yet he has no regrets about his time at Celtic Park. Even if he was deployed out of position.
He said: “I don’t think I ever really played left wing for Celtic, but I wouldn’t say I didn’t get a fair crack at the whip.
“At the end of the day, it’s all down to what you do as a player. I take full responsibility for not hitting the heights that I expected of myself.
“Now I play most of my football as a nine, so it’s not something that should have been like a make or break, you know.”
Now playing with San Diego in the MLS, the ex-New York Red Bulls favourite has kept close tabs on the Premiership title race.
He added: “I’d probably better just keep my mouth shut and let everyone guess who I’d want to win it! Who the little boy in me would want to win…
“But I think there are so many storylines, you could argue that Hearts winning it is just brilliant to shake up Scottish football.
“It’s all making for an exciting end to the season. We’ll see who the best team are.”
