MIKEY JOHNSTON today signed a new five year deal at Celtic ahead of tomorrow’s decade finale against the Rangers at Celtic Park. The new deal will keep the talented forward at the club until at least the summer of 2025
The new deal was announced on the official Celtic website this afternoon with Celtic View editor Paul Cuddihy breaking the news.
“Mikey is another successful graduate of the Celtic Youth Academy, having come through the ranks at the club, and he has made 45 first-team appearances to date, scoring 11 goals.
“Now 20-years-old, he made his debut on May 6, 2017, playing for nearly an hour in a 4-1 home win over St Johnstone, while his first goal came just over a year ago, when he netted in a 3-0 win at Celtic Park over Motherwell on December 19. He followed that up with two goals in Celtic’s next game – a 3-0 home win over Dundee.
#CalMac5MoreYears: 📝✅#Forrest2023: 📝✅#Johnston2025: 📝✅
🕺 @CelticFCAcademy 🕺 pic.twitter.com/SDuPspr2y7
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) December 28, 2019
“And on the final day of last season, he scored both goals in a 2-1 home win against Hearts on the day when the team lifted the Premiership trophy in recognition of their eighth league title in a row.
“This season, he has scored six goals for Celtic, including the first competitive goal of the campaign in a 3-1 away win over FK Sarajevo, while he also netted the team’s first goal of the current Premiership season, opening the scoring against St Johnstone in a 7-0 Flag Day win at Paradise.
“Having returned to the first-team squad following an injury lay-off, Mikey has made a great impact in recent months, scoring in the 3-1 Europa League win over Rennes and following that up with a strike against Ross County in Dingwall to give Neil Lennon’s side a 4-1 victory,” Paul Cuddihy wrote.
📝 @mikeyjohnston10 signs new five-year deal with #CelticFC!#Johnston2025 🍀⚪️
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) December 28, 2019
Johnston is pushing for a starting place against the Rangers tomorrow and will play if Neil Lennon decides he wants Ryan Christie and James Forrest playing in their best positions. However it is perhaps more likely that Christie will start on the right, Forrest on the left – both as inverted wingers, coming inside onto their stronger foot and allowing the full backs Jeremie Frimpong and Boli Bolingoli to go down the line.
That means Olivier Ntcham adds to numbers in the centre of the field beside Scott Brown and Callum McGregor with Mikey Johnston likely to be the first sub coming on from the bench.
Lenny though likes a surprise and likes to keep everyone guessing so we’ll have to wait until around 11.30am tomorrow morning to know for sure.
Today’s news that Mikey Johnston has signed a new five year deal though is excellent for both the player and the club and the supporters too will be delighted.
A long-term contract for #CelticFC's No.19 – yas, Celts! 🤩🍀#Johnston2025 pic.twitter.com/0zDn9oydQo
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) December 28, 2019
