Celtic fans will be glad to hear that Mikey Johnston has enjoyed a positive start to life south of the border after completing a loan move to West Bromwich Albion on deadline day.
The Republic of Ireland international has already become a fan favourite at the Hawthorns, registering three goals across his opening seven appearances in the Sky Bet Championship [Transfermarkt].
Before moving to the West Midlands, the 24-year-old was a rotational squad player under Brendan Rodgers, notching two strikes and a couple of assists in 12 outings circa 2023/24.
Irishman Rodgers acknowledged Johnston’s raw talent in an interview towards the end of last year; however, he also claimed that the Lennoxtown product needed to develop a firmer sense of ‘robustness’ to become a regular contributor at Parkhead.
Whether it has been a change of scenery that has allowed Johnston to operate with the shackles off or otherwise, he has gained excellent reviews at West Brom, with former England international Carlton Palmer among those impressed by his ability to drive at opposition backlines.
Palmer stated last month: “He’s been absolutely brilliant at West Brom, and so I’m sure, depending on which division West Brom are in next season, they’ll be looking at whether they could bring Mikey into the football club (permanently).”
Mikey Johnston opens up on why he had to depart Celtic
Johnston has already discussed why he ended up leaving Celtic for West Brom on loan, claiming that if it were up to Rodgers, he could’ve still played a part at Parkhead during the second half of the campaign.
Now, the Irishman has shed further light on how his move down south came to fruition, indicating that receiving regular first-team football was the driving factor behind departing his boyhood club.
He stated [Sky Sports]: “It was just a game-time thing; I think at the end, we had eight wingers. It was always going to be tough to get the minutes that I wanted to get; I wanted to build on last year.
“Obviously, I’m getting older now and I want to progress my career, this felt like a nice step for me. Everything was agreed by the two clubs, it was quite seamless.”
Mikey Johnston is thriving away from the Celtic spotlight
Granted, there is a spotlight at Celtic that can become hard to juggle with the pressure of having to win every single time you step out onto the pitch.
For whatever reason, Johnston hasn’t been able to nail down a starting berth over the years at Parkhead; nevertheless, he retains several qualities that make him a difficult customer to handle on the flank.
Looking ahead, there will be hope that he can continue his excellent start to life at the Hawthorns before discussions surrounding his future take shape in the summer.
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