When a player moves out on loan from Celtic, having been a first team player previously, it is often viewed, rightly or wrongly, as being the beginning of the end of a Celtic career. That is not always the case, as with Callum McGregor at Notts County or Ryan Christie at Aberdeen, but those are often the exceptions rather than the rule.
So, when Mikey Johnston moved on loan at Portuguese Primeira Liga side Vitória Guimarães this season, I don’t think I was alone in thinking his time with Celtic may have been drawing to a close. Yet Johnston has enjoyed an impressive season for Vitória, making 20 appearances, scoring three goals and providing three assists, and now he’s also declared to play for the Republic of Ireland, having received his FIFA international clearance.
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>The Football Association of Ireland is delighted to confirm Mikey Johnston has received FIFA international clearance 🇮🇪<br><br>Johnston is now available for selection for the Latvia & France fixtures ⤵️</p>— FAIreland ⚽️🇮🇪 (@FAIreland) <a href=”https://twitter.com/FAIreland/status/1633422931635191808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>March 8, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
The completing of that eligibility process – Johnston qualifies for the Republic of Ireland through his grandfather who was from Derry – means Mikey is now available for selection for the Republic of Ireland ahead of the March international fixtures against Latvia and France.
So, he must be doing something right, whilst out of sight but not quite out of mind in Portugal, right?
Well, you’d like to think so, because heading out on loan must have been blow to the confidence of Mikey Johnston who had seen his Celtic career majorly impacted by one injury after another at Celtic, and an inability to find consistent form in a Celtic shirt as a result. As such a re-building of the player’s confidence, away from the intense scrutiny of his parent club, was going to be necessary.
So surely regular gametime in Portugal, and some welcome goals and assists would have helped reconstruct some initial confidence, but add to that the possibility of international honours with Ireland and Mikey Johnston should be getting right back up to speed.
However, there is only one man Mikey Johnston has to convince – and that’s Ange Postecoglou, who was asked about Johnston’s international call-up recently and whether there was a future for Johnston at Celtic after his loan deal expires in the summer.
“In terms of his international football, that is a decision he has made and I’m sure he has given that plenty of thought to the people around him. I think international football is a fantastic part of a footballer’s career.
“It allows you to have new experiences and different experiences, and an opportunity to take your game to another level because of the different kind of context international football brings.
“Hopefully for him that gives him all of the things he is looking for in his career. In terms of beyond that, he is playing more regularly. We needed him to play more regular football and he is doing that. At the end of the year we will look at it and decide what is best for his future.”
Ange Postecoglou has played that one with a straight bat. Indeed, you could read into the manager’s comments anything you want depending on your own opinion on the matter. What Johnston needs to do now is use his manager’s words as hope his Celtic career could re-start again this summer, and use the remaining months of his loan deal and any international game time he may now get to convince Postecoglou his future lies with Celtic.
There is little better for a supporter than to see one of our own make the grade at Celtic. The fact so few make it is all the evidence needed as to how hard a task it is to break in at Celtic never mind actually make it.
Mikey Johnston I’m well aware has his detractors amongst the Celtic support, and many of their views have a great deal of merit, but his ability with a ball at his feet is surely without question. However, the in-game decision making that can only come with regular match practice has sometimes been lacking – and an inability to get a run in the team through a series of injuries will have played its part in that.
If Mikey Johnston can use his international eligibility and his form in Portugal as a means to rebuild his confidence and returns to Celtic as a better player for his experiences, then Celtic could still have one of our own strutting their stuff in a Celtic shirt.
I for one wish Mikey every success with that dream. Because, he can still harbour hopes of being the Celtic player we as supporters couldn’t be, but always wished we could.
Niall J
Pushing the launch of Matthew Marr’s debut Celtic book – ‘The BOULD BHOYS – Glory to their name’ back a week to Friday 24 March. Thanks to everyone who has ordered since we announced the book last night via an interview with the author. Please note that all pre-ordered books will be personally signed by Matthew Marr and you can order below if you’d like a signed copy posted out to you 24 March.
READ THIS...‘The Bould Bhoys – Glory to their name’ by Matthew Marr
