Mikey can try his hardest, but he, like us, knows his time is up…
Mikey Johnston yesterday spoke of his desire to keep fighting hard for a place in the Celtic side, as reported earlier today on The Celtic Star.
You can’t fault his spirit and determination to do so, after all it would be easy for him just to sit it out and pick up his pay cheque. Yet Liam Scales has already shown it’s not impossible to claw your way back into the team when all seems lost, but for Mikey that looks like something of a pipe dream as time runs out on his time at Celtic.
Mikey, like the rest of us, deep down knows his time at the club is probably up. Even with injuries to Liel Abada and Diazen Maeda he is still nowhere close to a first team start. That tells its own story as Luis Palma and Yang started and both performed brilliantly against Aberdeen last Sunday.
Mikey isn’t a young lad anymore – he’s 24 and needs first team football at this stage of his career and many will say that he’s had more than enough chances already at Celtic without being able to establish himself in the team, mostly as a result of persistent injury problems.
He is clearly a talented player, but his lack of physique and injury problems make him surplus to requirements at the club who have already committed one major contract deal to him without much return on the pitch.
That isn’t a criticism of Mikey in general it’s just harsh reality of football. Mikey will know it, the supporters all know it, and most importantly Brendan Rodgers knows it too.
Maybe Mikey Johnston will get a chance before the end of the year and can do something about changing minds but as the weeks go by it seems more and more unlikely.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
The facilities underneath the Jungle… pic.twitter.com/PBK4h6uUNP
— The Celtic Star News Feed (@CelticStarMag) November 16, 2023
I’m 44. Definitely regard myself being pretty lucky.
The last generation to remember a childhood without mobile phones, without the Internet & social media & the last generation of teenagers to get to stand in the jungle. 👌🍀❤️ https://t.co/ucWeqc6hDn— Lumos🍀 (@starryplough67) November 17, 2023
Mikey Johnston could have had such a different a career path.
The lads confidence took a serious nose dive under Lennon.
mikey has never recovered from that and the injuries.
A celtic lad from birth, I’d love his potential to come shining through but a club away from celtic could be a turning point for him.