Carles Gil has grown a lot since he joined the New England Revolution in 2019.
"Sometimes I watch some videos or some games that are in my past in Europe, and sometimes I don't recognize me because I changed a lot," Gil told The Blazing Musket.
The Spanish midfielder amassed more than 180 appearances in the English Premier League, La Liga, and La Liga 2 before coming to Major League Soccer.
He's since solidified himself as one of the league's elite chance-creators, winning Newcomer of the Year in 2019 and Most Valuable Player in 2021. He recently joined Preki (8) as the only MLS players with 1o-or-more assists in at least six consecutive seasons.
Moving to MLS – which came with a level of risk – turned out to be the right move for the Designated Player.
"In Europe I was not consistent," Gil said. "When you have assists, it's because you try to be dangerous for the opponent, and I wasn't in Europe. My mindset was different, so I'm very proud of that and finding my play."
While injuries hindered him during the early part of his career, Gil has been a consistent presence for the Revs since 2021, with 2024 (26) being the only year he made less than 28 appearances.
With 12 goals and ten assists in 29 games this year, he could set a new career-high for goal contributions in a single season (24 in both 2019 and 2025).
"I had many injuries in the past, but I think sometimes every player has their moment to mature or to change," Gil said. "I, myself, was a little late, maybe 27 or 28 years old when I found my best moment as the Carles that I want to be. Right now, I'm very consistent on that, but I learned a lot."
The 33-year-old is still aiming get better, and believes that the Revs coaching staff, led by head coach Marko Mitrovic, are a big part of process.
"Right now, honestly, I'm still feeling very, very good," Gil said. "Even better because since Marko and his staff arrived, they helped me a lot to be a better player without the ball.
"Obviously, with the ball, I try to be the best Carles. But without the ball, to learn during the game which position is better for the team to be dangerous. I'm learning a lot this year with Marko, so I hope I continue learning a lot with him.”
While Gil has accomplished a lot in New England – a place he now calls home – he hasn't won MLS Cup. To help the Revs win the league's ultimate prize for the first-time ever would mean a lot to the attacking midfielder.
With five games left to play, there's still work to do. But the Revs are in contention to host during the first round of the playoffs, as they currently sit third in the Eastern Conference.
"The most important thing is to win here," Gil said. "It's difficult, because we start the [regular] season and there are 30 teams looking for that, to win [MLS Cup], and just one can do it so it's difficult.
"We need to continue step-by-step. The most important thing in the beginning was to be competitive, and for sure we are right now. Like I said, continue, I think, first try to be in the best place possible. Hopefully we can play the games in the playoffs at home and then try to win.”
