THE family home in Linwood is one of the few places in Scotland where Adam Moffat is a household name.

Moffat may not have been born in the USA, but his reputation Stateside continues to grow.

He is, after all, the man who scored a 40-yard stunner in an MLS game and was involved in the incident which saw Thierry Henry red-carded when the former Arsenal star hit him on the back of the head.

On Sunday, the Glasgow- born midfielder will go head-to-head with another superstar on a star-studded occasion, but his chances of success have already been dismissed.

Moffat will take his place at the heart of the Houston Dynamo midfield when they face LA Galaxy in the MLS Cup Final this weekend, a game billed as David Beckham's soccer swansong in front of a partisan crowd at the Home Depot Centre.

The showbiz glitz and glamour of Major League Soccer's showpiece event is a far cry from Moffat's humble beginning in Scottish football, but the former Rangers and St Mirren youngster hopes he will thrive on the big stage.

"I am really looking forward to the game," Moffat told SportTimes. "There is a lot of hype around the world with it probably being Beckham's last game for LA Galaxy.

"It is good for us because most of the focus and attention is on them and we can just look at ourselves and hopefully get the win.

"I could never have dreamt about this happening. The way the league is over here, there are big stars joining all the time so it is good to play against these guys.

"Beckham is a bit older now but he is still a quality player. He has had a great career and he is still an important player for the Galaxy.

"It is a huge challenge for me to play against guys of that calibre, but it is one I am relishing."

The growth of soccer Stateside has seen a host of superstar names flock across the Atlantic, eager to cash in on the lucrative contracts on offer and live the Hollywood lifestyle.

The Galaxy have Beckham and Robbie Keane within their ranks while Henry is joined at New York Red Bulls by Frank Rost and Rafael Marquez.

Few players have seen their careers turnaround in such dramatic circumstances as Moffat, with the midfielder almost abandoning his dreams before hitting the big time.

His professional career in Scotland was unremarkable, he never made a first-team appearance for Ross County and had dropped down to the Third Division with Elgin before a chance call from team-mate Richard Huxford presented an opportunity that has seen him become a soccer star.

Moffat has plied his trade with Cleveland City Stars, Columbus Crew and Portland Timbers and, as he prepares for the biggest game of his career, looks back with fondness at his transition from Dingwall to California.

He said: "It has been an unusual journey. It is funny the way it has worked out.

"The game has really come on in America over the last few years. We average about 20,000 for our home games. It is amazing to see.

"The sport is still behind basketball and American Football and baseball, but it is definitely growing and I've seen that since 2007.

"It has been an amazing journey for me going up to the Highlands and ending up in America and now preparing to play against LA Galaxy in front of millions worldwide."

Moffat may be a relative unknown in Scotland, but his career in his homeland started with promise and he cites Lee Wallace, Ross McCormack and Charlie Mulgrew as former Scotland youth team-mates.

The 25-year-old is now loving life in America, but admits he could still have unfinished business against his compatriots.

"I don't think I fulfilled my potential in the Scottish game, but it is tough," he said.

"There are a lot of good players in Scotland and not that many places. For whatever reason, you can fall out the game and it is very difficult to get back in again.

"Gardner Speirs was the youth coach at County, and he helped me a lot when I was there and I got into the Scotland Under-19s. I played with Don Cowie when I was up north, it is good to see him doing well in England and for the Scotland national team.

"And I was with Charlie Adam at Rangers when I was younger, and then again at County when he was on loan up there.

"If there was an opportunity, I definitely would think about moving back. It is not something I would rule out but it has to be the right move."