Giorgos Giakoumakis beats Lionel Messi to MLS top award as former Celtic star's raw reaction caught on camera

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Former Celtic star Giorgos Giakoumakis was overcome with emotion as he beat 2023 Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi to a top MLS award.The Greek striker has been in electrifying form since leaving Parkhead in January, with 17 goals netted so far for Atlanta United, tied at second place for the league's Golden Boot award.

Giakoumakis' exit from Celtic under Ange Postecoglou came as something of a surprise to a number of Parkhead punters, with the former Eredivisie hitman's numbers proving to be impressive as the Hoops won the Treble, despite the fact he couldn't displace talisman Kyogo.And while all the talk Stateside has been of the arrival of World-Cup winning hero Messi, who joined Inter Miami in a watershed moment for the MLS, it was the former Celtic man who scooped the coveted Newcomer of the Year award with 45.78 per cent of the vote, almost 20 points higher than Messi's 27.28 per cent.And Atlanta shared the touching moment the 28-year-old discovered he had won the prize, with a close personal friends sharing the news via video link.

Giakoumakis was visibly emotion as he looked behind the camera in shock to ask 'Did I win that?'He then says: "You get emotional every time guys, thank you very much.

I love them." The video was shared to United's social media with the caption: "Called in a few friends from Greece to give Giorgos the big news...The best is yet to come."