Liel Abada insisted his first ever goal in the MLS was payback for the 'very, very difficult time in Scotland' he endured as the former Celtic star was named Man of the Match.

The Israeli winger helped Charlotte FC to a 3-2 win over Toronto and netted his first goal for his new club in his third appearance for the North Carolina outfit.

It was his first goal since scoring for the Hoops at Pittodrie in a 3-1 win back in August against Aberdeen.

And he was thrilled with the milestone.

Abada said: "I have been waiting for this goal for a very long time. I had a very, very difficult time in Scotland, now I'm happy and I just wanted to enjoy it.

"We are happy with the three points which are the most important. I am very pleased that I scored. Now my aim is to score more goals here.

"We have some very good players in attack, there is good chemistry between us. We work hard and know what we have to do. The coaching team here teaches us a lot."

And Abada's boss - former Aston Villa and Leicester City manager Dean Smith - was delighted at the 22-year-old's performance.

Smith said: "Liel came to the party today. He is a humble guy, you could see how important this goal was to him. His impact on the game was great."