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If you look at his MLS stats, it looks like Luke Mulholland had the least exciting season imaginable, playing just 19 minutes with Real Salt Lake in a 0-0 draw against the New England Revolution.
Take a look at his USL stats though, and you have a different story.
Mulholland has been dealing with injury on and off for the last two seasons. After needing back surgery during the 2018 season, fans didn’t expect to see much of him in 2019. He struggled to find consistent first-team playing time before the injury, and it was going to take a while to get back into the first team after the major surgery.
Fortunately, after returning from injury in 2019, Mulholland found himself a mainstay in the Real Monarchs SLC starting eleven.
Mulholland had 12 starts and over 1,000 minutes for the Monarchs in the regular season alone. He also started in all four of the Monarchs playoff games that ultimately led them to winning the 2019 USL Championship Trophy.
Mulholland’s veteran presence and ability to pull strings in the midfield was a key to the success in the latter half of the Monarchs 2019 campaign. Mulholland had just one goal to show for himself with the Monarchs but with an 82.3% pass rate and two assists, he helped bring stability to the young midfield for the Monarchs.
Although Mulholland may not have had the season he or the diehard fans had hoped for, he found a way to play meaningful minutes after returning from injury and even has a trophy to show for it.
At the end of the 2019 season Mulholland did have his option declined by the club and will likely not be returning to the team in 2020 after being with the club since 2014.