Mikey Johnston became one of Celtic’s January transfer window casualties after completing a loan move to West Bromwich Albion.
The 24-year-old was a bit part player for the Bhoys in the first half of the campaign, registering two goals and two assists in 12 appearances.
Brendan Rodgers detailed the actions he believed Johnston would need to take to establish himself at Parkhead last year.
The Irishman stated: “He’s 24, and if you want to play at a club like Celtic in the starting line-up regularly, you have to have robustness, and you have to be mentally strong. You have to be competitive and physically brave.”
Since making the journey south of the border, the Republic of Ireland international has hit the ground running at the Hawthorns, scoring twice in his opening five matches for West Brom [Transfermarkt].
On Tuesday night, Johnston netted the Baggies’ second in an eventual 3-0 victory away to Plymouth Argyle, jinking inside his marker before slamming a curled strike past former Celtic goalkeeper Conor Hazard.
Despite enduring a frustrating Parkhead career, the Glasgow-born man appears to be finding his feet in the Sky Bet Championship.
Carlos Corberan explains Celtic loanee Mikey Johnston’s form
West Brom manager Carlos Corberan is a highly-rated coach in England, and it is easy to see why, given that his cash-strapped side are well in contention for the playoff positions.
The 40-year-old has lauded Johnston for adapting to a completely different way of working at the Hawthorns Stadium and given an insight into his recent upward trajectory.
Corberan stated [Cited via Birmingham Live]: “It’s not the same for Mikey to play at Celtic and West Bromwich Albion.
“When you identify Celtic, when they are playing at home in a league game, they are very dominant and attack. When you put Celtic in a European competition, there’s another scenario.
“What is important is that Johnston had a loan in Portugal previously. He was in a team which was different to Celtic, so it’s new to him to be in a different environment to Celtic, it’s not the first time he’s had a different style. That allows us to trust more in his adaptation.”
Mikey Johnston will thrive away from Celtic spotlight
Sometimes, it can challenging for a player to perform under the unforgiving pressure that comes with being at Celtic; however, it doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t a talented individual.
Johnston definitely has attributes that suit playing in the Championship, where he will be able to take advantage of the extra space afforded by defenders, instead of being tasked with breaking down low-block defences on a weekly basis.
Taking away the spotlight at Parkhead can only be a good thing for the winger, who is now playing with a smile on his face and thriving in an alternative environment.
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