Mikey Johnston

Of course it's not all about stats. But regardless of that, for a winger to have directly contributed to two league goals (both in the same game) in 7 months - that doesn't strike me as someone making headlines.

Looking forward to seeing him return then. His all round game must be outstanding if he's tearing it up as an attacking player, despite barely scoring a goal or setting any up.

 

Dont get cheeky pal.

 

5 goal contributions in the league, 8 goal contributions overall. If you are going to be a smart * at least get your numbers correct.

That's one more goal involvement than Haksabanovic despite playing in a considerablely more difficult league.

 

He's had the season of game time he desperately needed. It will have done wonders for his confidence and I've no doubt we will be getting back a better player than the one we sent out. Whether that sees him kick on for us who knows but I'll go with whatever the manager decides. A really good prospect that I think wasn't well managed by us previously. Happy that his career has taken an upturn regardless of where he ends up.

 

Ange set him a challenge of proving he can stay fit and get regular game time and he seized it. Once we bring him back he will * him in pre season and will decide from there. But to me atm he looks a better option than Haksa so I can't see a reason we would sell him other than an offer coming in we can't turn down.

 

Agree with this, although Ange has also made it clear that he'll be unsentimental in looking to upgrade the squad. If we bring in another winger or even another two depending on who goes, there may just not be a place for Mikey.

 

Yes or it could mean there is a place for Mikey and no place for one of our other wingers. Ange will * whether Mikey is a better option for us than our current rosta of wingers or not in pre season. End of the day opposition in Portuguese Liga is a higher standard of football than what our team are playing against every week and MJ has tied down a starting spot during a vital part of the season when they were pushing for a Europa spot so Vitoria clearly feels he offers something they need.

 

He deserves an opportunity and being home grown works in his favour.

I’ve never been more frustrated by a player though. The potential is very clearly there but the footballing brain hasn’t been to date. I’d be happy to be wrong about him.

 

This, lets bring him back, give him a pre season and then Ange can make a call.
He does have attributes, that cannot be coached so there is hope for the guy. Could never see him a starter but if his decision making has improved, could be a useful squad player for us.

 

Might be a good idea to let him stay over there for an extra 6 months. It's obviously working out well for him. Another 6 months of regular football with game time in the Europa League could bring him on leaps and bounds. After that he could be ready to come back here and really compete for a spot in the team.

 

Vitoria didn't qualify for Europa league, they are in 3rd qualyfier for ECL.
I think he either needs to come and show what he can do now or never. I don't think another 6 months will help him grow. He needs to come in, show what he can do and if he deserves a place above Maeda or Hacksa.

 

Fair enough about Europa League that what I get for reading a DR article.

"He’s been a key player in their bid for a Europa League spot behind big guns Benfica, Porto, Braga and Sporting Lisbon."

Was thinking that his career has been so stop start that he hasn't been able to get as much game time and experience as he should have by 24. Having 1 solid season will have been very good for him, but it's just 1 season. If he can stay where he's settled for another 6 months and carry his fitness and form into next season, I think that would help him kick on to the next level. If he came back here and struggled to get game time it would probably set him back again. We do have Jota, Haksa and Daizen after all. Plus I think it's good for the squad to get some attacking reenforcements in the January window.

Obviously a lot depends on who we bring in and who we lose in the transfer windows.

 

Mikey Johnston jinks into view for Ireland and Celtic
‘Brendan Rodgers is a great manager and if he came back to Celtic he would be unreal’




If Celtic’s majority shareholder Dermot Desmond agrees to the second coming of Brendan Rodgers in paradise that would suit Mikey Johnston just fine.

“Definitely. He gave me my debut and every player will love the guy who gave them their debut, don’t they? But he’s a great manager and if he came back to Celtic he would be unreal.”

Rodgers is widely reported to be in London for talks with Desmond, the Irish billionaire who has also invested in Shamrock Rovers.

Interestingly, Johnston was on the FAI radar long before Stephen Kenny capped him against Latvia last March. Mick McCarthy came calling in 2019 and Martin O’Neill took time away from the subtle wooing of Declan Rice to entice him into wearing a green shirt.




Yeah, we’d been in contact in the past, a few years back, but it just never seemed to happen, just because I was at home [in Glasgow] and nothing ever came of it,” said the 24-year-old.

“But in the last couple of years it sort of heated up a bit because I was playing well and the manager wanted to include me in the squad and I was happy to do it.”





Neither McCarthy nor O’Neill actually sat down with Johnston, whereas Kenny did just that earlier this year.

“Yeah, it was through my agent and I was always open to it but it only really properly came about when this manager [Kenny] was really keen to get it done.”

Former Celtic boss Neil Lennon and Damien Duff, while coaching at the club in 2020, also leant on him to embrace his Donegal and Derry roots.

“I remember that but it was a stage when I wasn’t ready. I was struggling with my body, having had a few surgeries, so it definitely wasn’t the time to decide.”

Pull up the early days of Johnston at Celtic, raiding off the right, jinking past defenders with feints and acceleration, and his Ireland debut springs to mind. The difference is he scores in the Hoops highlight reels.

Trotting off the bench three months ago at the Aviva Stadium, he ran the Latvians ragged before smashing the post, which allowed Chiedozie Ogbene finish the rebound to secure a face-saving 3-2 win.




What seems certain, so far, is Scottish football’s loss is Ireland’s gain. Really, a succession of medial collateral ligament tears coupled with the pressure of being a hometown boy at Celtic conspired to temporarily derail his career.

“Maybe I felt a little hard done by at times, but my body was in a bad way. At one stage it was really bad, it was going to take time. That’s why getting out of the UK was good, getting out of the media and stuff.”

Scotland were hardly banging down his door after Celtic loaned him out to Portuguese club Vitória Guimarães this season, where Kenny visited one weekend only for Johnston to be an unused substitute. Luckily, the Ireland manager had already made up his mind.

“I think I got a [Scotland] call-up a couple of years ago or I was going to get one but I had a couple of injuries or whatever and it never came about. Look, I’m Scottish-born but I’ve always been open to play for either.

“International football was big, representing Ireland was massive and trying to get to a big tournament is what every player dreams to do, isn’t it? And the opportunity was here and I was just delighted to take it.”

The mention of following the two Scottish wingers that turned into Irish folk heroes has Johnston visibly excited. More so Aiden McGeady than Ray Houghton but that’s because the former caught his eye as a boy.




McGeady was sort of a hero. He was obviously a Celtic legend when I was younger so I know all about it.”

The way McGeady was castigated for choosing Ireland over Scotland did make him take a beat.

“Yeah, it was definitely a factor to consider but I feel like times have changed a little bit and I think people are a bit more open. There were obviously different reasons to why he got a bit of stick and stuff but I don’t think that’s the case any more.

“The only people that really matters are your family and friends. If you’re sort of reading comments on Twitter and stuff you’re going to be in for a disaster but the only people that matters are your family.”

 

I prefer to remember his pass that sprung Edouard loose at the debt star for the opener in that 2-0 win

 

Are we still flogging this dead horse let him go .

 

He knocked about 10 year off my life when he was clean through in the 1 nil cup final (us down to 10) and he dinked the keeper and missed

Was on my knees..

 

As soon as I read that I totally had a flash back. I was actually sitting in a lounge in an airport in South Carolina having got there early waiting for a flight to Chicago and watched the entire game on my tablet. You can imagine the looks I was getting as I was reacting to the game and I remember falling to the ground head in hands as Mikey missed that chance to kill the game off. Thankfully big Fraser was unbeatable that night.