Lewis Morgan's most revealing point was not simply that he joined Celtic in January 2018 despite being a Rangers season-ticket holder. It was his claim that Glasgow football is full of players with private allegiances to the other side. That makes his own story less of an outlier and more of an honest description of how Old Firm identity actually works behind the noise.
Morgan told dailyrecord.co.uk: "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."
That is the part of the interview that sticks. Plenty of Old Firm stories get reduced to badge-kissing loyalty tests, but Morgan's version is more believable because it sounds like real life in Scottish football. Players grow up in one environment, move through another and end up working for whichever club gives them the chance.
Why Morgan's own move still matters
Morgan's move to Celtic was controversial because of the background around it, and he did not try to dress that up. He said: "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."
That quote matters because it avoids the fake purity that often follows these discussions. Morgan did not pretend his upbringing did not exist. He acknowledged it, then made the more practical point that football is a job.
As he put it: "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 feels like the most sensible reading of his move. He joined Celtic in January 2018 despite being a Rangers season-ticket holder, and he was hardly switching from a secure place inside Ibrox. Morgan also said he had been at Rangers for eight to nine years before being released. Once that happens, the sentimental argument weakens quickly. A career is short, and the next opportunity matters more than childhood routine.
He did not become a major long-term figure at Celtic, but the numbers in the source piece are clear: 31 appearances and 2 goals. He later joined Inter Miami in January 2020 and is now with San Diego in MLS.
What Morgan says about the Old Firm reality
Morgan's wider point is stronger than the details of his own spell at Celtic. He is arguing that the public version of Rangers-Celtic rivalry is often cleaner than the truth inside dressing rooms.
That rings true because Scottish football is small, heavily scrutinised and built around family, geography and opportunity as much as ideology. Morgan's "goldfish bowl" description gets at that neatly. In a place where everybody seems to know everybody else's background, players are still expected to behave as if every career step is driven by fixed tribal loyalty.
The reality is messier. Morgan says there are players in both changing rooms who grew up on the other side of the divide. That does not lessen the rivalry. If anything, it explains why it remains so intense. The clubs sit at the centre of Scottish football culture, so crossover is inevitable.
The piece also places Morgan in a longer line of names attached to that theme, including Sir Kenny Dalglish, Danny McGrain, Neil McCann and Mo Johnston. He is not presented as some unprecedented case. He is just one of the few willing to say the quiet part out loud.
The current backdrop does not really change the point
If anything, the current context around both clubs underlines that this is an identity story more than a form story. In Europe, Celtic are 21st in the 2025 UEFA Europa League standings with 11 points from 8 games, and their last five results are WDLWL. Rangers are 32nd with 4 points from 8 games, with a last-five sequence of LWLDL.
Those numbers matter only in the sense that neither club's present state changes Morgan's argument. This is not about who is currently stronger. It is about how players in Scotland actually live the rivalry, and how often that reality cuts across the public script.
Morgan's own career is the obvious example. He came through at Rangers, joined Celtic, made 31 appearances and scored 2 goals, then moved on to MLS. The more interesting part is his claim that plenty of others have done their own version of that crossover without saying it publicly.
FAQ
Why did Lewis Morgan join Celtic despite his Rangers background?
Morgan framed it as a professional decision rather than a tribal one. He said a footballer’s job is to do the best for the club employing him. He joined Celtic in January 2018 despite being a Rangers season-ticket holder, and also said he had spent eight to nine years at Rangers before being released.
Did Lewis Morgan say Celtic and Rangers players support the other side?
Yes. Speaking to dailyrecord.co.uk, Morgan said there are "a ton of guys in both changing rooms" and described it as impossible to avoid in Scotland, where so many people support one side or the other. His point was that hidden crossover allegiances are common in Glasgow football.
How did Lewis Morgan do at Celtic after joining from St Mirren?
Morgan made 31 appearances for Celtic and scored 2 goals. He later moved to Inter Miami in January 2020 and is now with San Diego in MLS, so his comments land as a retrospective on a short but still notable spell at the club.
Is Lewis Morgan the only player linked to Old Firm crossover loyalties?
No. The source piece also cites Sir Kenny Dalglish, Danny McGrain, Neil McCann and Mo Johnston as examples tied to the same broader theme. Morgan’s interview stands out because he described the crossover as a normal part of Scottish football rather than a one-off story.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
