Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton has taken note of Mikey Johnston’s burst back into the minds of supporters this week after his impressive cameo for the Republic of Ireland mid-week.
Johnston came off the bench in an Irish friendly win against Latvia, setting up one goal and coming so close to one of his own on his international debut. The winger has committed his future to Ireland despite representing Scotland in youth age groups.
Sutton, who says he has always been a fan of the attacker, reckons this renewed confidence could see him in line to have a rebirth at the Bhoys – in the fashion of Anthony Ralston’s turnaround over the last couple of years.
Chris Sutton intrigued by Johnston’s Celtic situation
Writing in his Daily Record column, he said: “Coming on for the final 30 minutes and making a huge impact? That sounds familiar. It’s been the Abada party piece at Parkhead this season – coming off the bench and getting fans on their feet. And with so much uncertainty surrounding Abada’s future, all of a sudden seeing Johnston back on the radar might make a bit of sense.
“Postecoglou has previous for salvage missions. Just look at Anthony Ralston. When the manager came in, he was so far out in the cold he needed a team of huskies to get back in. Ralston had been out for a couple of loan spells and no one would have been shocked if he moved on in the sumner of 2021. Postecoglou kept him around because he was short of bodies in that area of the team but the player grabbed his chance with both hands.
“Ralston played a huge part in the title win last season and although he’s been primarily back up this term, he is still an important member of the squad. The same could happen to Johnston. It might all depend on what happens in the summer – especially with Abada.”
Johnston has a long way to go to make it back into Postecoglou’s plans but we know the winger is rated at Celtic. The firmest proof of that is the fact his contract was extended before going out on loan. It was very much a development move rather than a loan designed to get rid of him.
Nonetheless, with high-performing players such as Daizen Maeda, Jota and Sead Haksabanovic also at the club, it will be a difficult road for the new Ireland international. However, as Sutton notes, if Ralston can fight his way back into Celtic contention – so can a player such as Johnston. It’ll be interesting to see how it plays out.
In other news, Celtic promised ‘significant’ cash boost from Euro shake-up; club already firmly in UEFA camp.
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