Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers was impressed with the performance of Mikey Johnston against Dundee as the winger netted a double to rack up a 3-0 scoreline at Dens Park.
Johnston came into the match looking to exploit tiredness in the Dundee defence’s legs, finding space to punish them with direct dribbling and combinations in the final third.
His first goal could be considered a result of Trevor Carson’s goalkeeping error but his second was a solid finish, with the Ireland international then going on to look for a hat-trick.
They were his first goals for the Bhoys since 2019 and came after a run in the team as a starter for four games during December.
Despite the Boxing Day contribution, it seems he will be used as an impact substitute moving forward, rather than coming into the manager’s thinking as a starting option.
Brendan Rodgers on Mikey Johnston Celtic role
The Celtic boss said [The Scotsman]: “The challenge for Mikey was the fact that he had played a lot of games back to back, and he hasn’t done that much for Celtic. It can give him confidence.
“The beauty with Mikey is that he’s stayed fit. It’s up to him whether he’s going to be a Celtic player, but we keep working with him and we feel he can come into the game and make an impact. We were really pleased for him to get the two goals.”
Whether Johnston wants to perform that kind of role for the Bhoys remains to be seen. He is contracted to the reigning champions until the summer of 2026.
However, in recent interviews, he has indicated he wants to be playing regularly at this stage of his career. With the January transfer window coming up, there’s always the possibility that he moves on.
It’s doubtful that he will ever be that star starting option at Celtic Park. As an impact substitute, he ticks a few boxes, but he’d have to be happy knowing that’s his status at the Bhoys.
In other news, Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers issues promising Reo Hatate and Liel Abada news ahead of derby.
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