SCOTLAND forward Lewis Morgan’s proud mum praised her boy’s 'incredible' dedication and backed him to make an impact if he gets on the pitch during Scotland’s Euro 2024 clash with Hungary tomorrow night.

Lewis’s family back home in Gourock were ‘over the moon’ when the New York Red Bulls attacker received a late call-up for Steve Clarke’s tournament squad earlier this month.

His delighted mother Veronica told the Tele today that her son’s subsequent cap during Scotland’s last pre-tournament warm-up game against Finland was richly deserved after a difficult period last year.

(Image: Kenny Ramsay)

The 27-year-old was given a 20 to 25 per cent chance of returning to his previous playing levels following a major surgery last year which involved almost a complete reshaping of his hip.

But despite the setback the talented footballer found a rich vein of form for his club side, scoring nine goals in 16 Major League Soccer appearances this season, before earning a spot on the plane to Germany.

While Lewis has not featured in Scotland’s first two Euro 2024 games, mum Veronica is still holding out hope that her boy can make an appearance this weekend.

She said: “I’m hoping he gets some minutes but you just don’t know.

“It was a hard year for him but he’s so incredibly dedicated and it’s sheer hard work that got him back.

“He’s just such a lovely boy, he’s so kind and humble.

“He’s doing great out in New York, he’s loving it out there and he’s got a nice home and a new girlfriend.”

Veronica said her son’s determination to succeed and love for football has always been apparent, even when times were tough.

She added: “Lewis has had a ball at his feet from the minute he could walk.

“He’s so dedicated and he’s never touched alcohol or anything like that, he’s always been about his football.

“Even when he was young he was at Rangers as a schoolboy and he was training six days a week with training on a Saturday, but he was very clever at school too.

“His teachers said he could have been anything, he’s got a photographic memory.

“A lot of boys signed on for Rangers, but I made him stay and get his Highers.

“I thought he needed these Highers in case it all went wrong, but his very words to me were ‘mum, there is no plan B for me, this is it’.

“When he said that I knew he would do everything to make it in this career and he did.”

While Veronica had the option to go and watch Lewis play in the Hampden warm-up game against Finland, she turned it down due to nerves about watching the star play.

However, she says that if Lewis gets on the pitch this Sunday she plans to steel herself and watch along.

She said: “I just can’t watch him, it makes me too nervous.

“I’m really bad, when he comes on, I’m running in and out the room every two minutes asking if he’s playing ok.

“But I know he’s itching to get on that pitch and show them what he can do.

“He’s scoring goals out in New York, and I know what a lot of people say about the MLS, but Red Bulls have got one of the youngest teams there and their fans are going nuts because they want him back.

“I’ll watch on Sunday, I’ll try my best if he gets on.

“I just hope he gets a chance to prove to everyone why he deserves to be there.”