Carles Gil named 2021 MLS Comeback Player of the Year

2021 has been an amazing year for Carles Gil, so it is not surprising that he is bringing a trophy home after the conclusion of the regular season.

Still, the fact that Carles Gil was named MLS’ 2021 Comeback Player of the Year is a bit surprising.

The numbers speak for themselves, Gil was the driving force behind the New England Revolution this season. With four goals and 18 assists, the midfielder was unstoppable for almost the entirety of the 2021 season.

The only thing that stopped Gil was his body. Seth Macomber was the first to report that Gil would miss more than three weeks with a sports hernia. Gil himself later confirmed that was the injury that took him out of the lineup and over to Spain to receive treatment.

Still, compared to the 2020 season that saw Gil miraculously return from an Achilles injury ahead of schedule and lead New England on a playoff run all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, this year doesn’t seem to measure up. There seemed to be plenty of other cases more deserving (considering that Andy Najaar came back from a nearly career ending injury and whatnot).

But hopefully this isn’t the only award that Gil wins. The midfielder seems to be the clear favorite for the 2021 Landon Donovan MLS Most Valuable Player award.

Gil and the Revolution return to the field on Tuesday as they begin their playoff journey against NYCFC in the Eastern Conference semifinals.