The former Scottish Premiership star is currently playing for Lebanon outfit Al Ahed.
The view from Lee Erwin’s Beirut flat looks over the Mediterranean Sea in a city better known as the Paris of the Middle East.
But Erwin watches the news and the Lebanese capital was witness to clashes with security forces who used water cannons to disperse crowds close to the US embassy last week in pro-Palestinian protests. The 29-year-old has given MailSport an insight into a life less ordinary as he attempts to keep his focus on goals amidst the death and destruction across the border in Israel and Gaza. Erwin’s scoring exploits over the last two seasons reignited a career that had always promised something more.
The absence of Erwin’s partner and two young children weighs heavy on the hitman, who enjoyed an 11-day break in Scotland. But he is eager that armchair critics should not get the wrong impression of Beirut. He said: “I know it’s all a bit crazy just now and when I lived in Scotland I thought Beirut would be chaos. Now, having experienced it, it’s nothing like I’d imagined. These comments always come from those who have never been.
A frustrating spell with St Mirren was the trigger for Erwin to broaden his horizons. In Finland with Haka, he discovered a consistency of selection and a manager who played to his strengths – and he insists it’s something he has craved his entire career. Top scorer in the Veikkausliiga, he was named player of the year in the Finnish top flight and Erwin has just topped the scoring chart in the Lebanese Federation Cup as well.
“If I was still in Scotland it would be the old routine of going home after training, not knowing if I would be playing at the weekend. If I’m being honest, I probably wouldn’t even be playing at this point. Moving abroad has saved my career.”
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