Lewis Morgan’s restoration into the Scottish national team continues as he was called into the Tartan Army for its upcoming UEFA Nations League matches against Poland on Sept. 5 and Portugal on Sept. 8.
This is the second time this year that Morgan has been called into the Scotland side after a five-year hiatus. The Paisley native had not been called into a national team camp since 2019.
After a brilliant start to the 2024 MLS season, Scotland boss Steve Clarke called Morgan up for the 2024 European Championships — an opportunity created by an onslaught of injuries amongst the roster heading into the famed tournament.
Morgan came on as a sub in the final match of Group A play against Hungary while Scotland pressed for a goal that would have buoyed their hopes of advancing to the knockout stage of a major tournament for the first time ever. Instead, they conceded shortly after the 27-year-old’s introduction to bring their Euro experience to a crunching end.
Regardless, Morgan has continued to produce in Major League Soccer, which has made him an intriguing option for Clarke and Scotland. In 22 MLS games, he has 12 goals and two assists while successfully playing multiple roles. An original right-winger, he has developed into a bona fide center-forward option in New York.
“He has adapted his game and can play as a striker or a second striker. He’s got a few strings to his bow,” Clarke said of Morgan back in June. “Lewis has been in my squads before… so I know the player, I know the character, I know the person which is always a help.”
Morgan will likely be an attacking option off the bench once again in Nations League play — a competition that eliminates meaningless mid-season friendlies while also providing an avenue for group winners to gain an automatic place in the European Championship playoffs.
Featured in League A — the highest of the four Nations League groups that can compete for the tournament’s championship — Scotland’s group features 2018 World Cup finalists, Croatia, Euro 2016 winners Portugal with the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo, and a Poland side which features one of this generation’s most prolific strikers, Robert Lewandowski.
