Lewis Morgan, Celtic’s 21-year-old latest recruit, has revealed that a formative rejection by Rangers as he was setting out in professional football came as a relief rather than a disappointment.
The Scotland under-21 internationalist completed a four-and-a-half year deal with Celtic yesterday in a £300k move from Championship side St Mirren but will spend the remainder of the campaign in Paisley on loan as Jack Ross pushes for promotion.
Released by Rangers after the best part of a decade with the Ibrox side, Morgan learned of the news via the postman when a letter dropped inviting him to an SFA exit trial at Toryglen, information that was relayed later by Jimmy Sinclair, the former head of youth at the club.
Instead of allowing the disappointment to define a career before it had begun, Morgan maintained that he used it as inspiration.
“It was probably more of a relief when I left there, to be honest,” said Morgan. “It was a weight off my shoulders because the last two years there were pretty much pointless me being there.
“The head of youth at the time put me back a year so I was playing with the younger age groups. Even at that, I was probably only playing 10 minutes here or there.
“He didn’t take a fancy to me at all. Going to a club like St Mirren was great for me. It gave me that chance to kick on again.
“I probably lost a couple of years at that club so I can’t wait to get start at this one, the biggest club.
“I was16 or 17 at the time and if can be demoralising to get released.
But at the time I saw it as more of a relief. I just wanted to get back to enjoying my football again and St Mirren gave me that platform.
“I knew I wanted to leave anyway, but I got a letter in for the exit trials before I had been released by Rangers,” he said.
“I already knew I was being released and it was kind of a pointless meeting in the end.
“I was just happy to get out and get back to enjoying football.
One of the reasons for Morgan’s release at Rangers was attributed to the slightness of his frame. The player explained that at the time the Ibrox club were looking for the biggest teenagers at every age group, a strategy that he reflected with some dryness that has not entirely come to fruition.
“Was I too slight?” he said. “That was probably a factor. One of the philosophies at Rangers at the time was the wanted the biggest boys in the country at my age. It didn’t really work out for them, to be fair.
“I’ve always used it to motivate me and push me to prove people wrong. It’s got me to here so I’m delighted.”
The perennial question mark over any young player moving to Celtic is whether they have the required temperament and ability to make the grade. While there have been successes – Stuart Armstrong would be the most recent – there have been cautionary narratives such as Scott Allan who may have had cause to lament their choice.
In is initiating press conference at Celtic, Morgan suggested he has the natural self-belief that may well be required as he looks to chap at the door of Brendan Rodgers’ first-team this summer.
“I’ve not really asked myself that question. I know I can,” said Morgan quietly when asked if he could make it at Celtic.
“If I didn’t then I wouldn’t be joining the club. A lot of the responsibility falls on me. If I don’t make it then I’ll only have myself to blame because I’ll have everything available here to enable me to improve and develop as a player.
“I know the club is massive and the players here are outstanding. You can see by how they have been dominating.
“I will have a fight on my hands to get in that team but I don’t doubt my ability in being able to do it. I want to show what I am about. I think I am inspired by being in the spotlight, maybe even subconsciously. I thrive on the big games. I like when pressure is put on me.”
Morgan’s has the requisite first-team experience that will help to bed him in at Celtic – he has amassed more than 100 games for St Mirren – but his recent experience in the derby against Morton and Saints may well have steeled him to the additional elements that will go with his new club.
The Greenock support chanting “we know where you live” to the Gourock lad was laughed off by the player, but there is a fair chance that he can expect that level of abuse to be cranked up considerably at Celtic.
“I loved all that to be honest, it was brilliant,” he smiled. “Obviously when I scored I tried to give a wee bit back. Listen, I think you’re going to get that wherever you go in football. I tend just to take it with a wee pinch of salt and have a laugh with it."
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