If there’s one thing that Neil Lennon takes away from Celtic’s tour of Austria and Switzerland, it should be that Mikey Johnston has a role to play in the here and now.
The 20-year-old was Celtic’s best player for the third match on the spin as the Hoops rounded off their central European camp with a 0-0 draw against St. Gallen.
Johnston has hit the ground running in pre-season and looks quicker, sharper and more purposeful than before.
Johnston has a role to play
His opening displays alone should be enough to dispel chat of him going out on loan this season. In recent weeks, Motherwell and Panathinaikos have been linked with a temporary move for the Scottish youth international. Previously, Celtic may have been tempted to farm him out for some game time. However, now it seems Johnston has a role to play for Lennon’s side.
Johnston has earned the right to start in next week’s opening qualifier in Sarajevo. The winger looks like he would give any full-back a hard time right now and could be a crucial weapon on the counter attack against the Bosnian champions.
There’s no doubting that he’s been the most impressive player during pre-season so far. Hopefully he can now be backed by his manager.
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