As revealed right here on The Celtic Star at the weekend, Mikey Johnston is the subject of interest from former Hoops manager Ronny Deila. The Standard Liege head coach wants to take his old pupil to Belgium this summer as he looks to bolster his squad this year. Johnston is in dire need of a move away from Celtic Park to try and ressurect his dwindling career of late.
News has emerged now that should Johnston move out of the club for a loan spell, he will not be short of suitors as there are plenty of club’s across Britain and Europe that are keen on the tricky winger. According to Scottish Sun, there remains a multitude of interested football club’s in the English Championship as well as League One.
Several Scottish Premiership sides are also said to be considering making a move for the 23-year-old Scot; whilst the report also states that Johnston has his admirers throughout Europe too. Manager Ange Postecoglou is said to be willing to sanction such a move for Mikey and that he still highly thought of within the walls of Lennoxtown.
A short-term stint away from the goldfish bowl of Galsgow is exactly what the player is in need of at this point. His career has stagnated and is in severe danger of going backwards if he doesn’t find a solution to his current predicament. Going abroad would be an especially good experience as he only needs to look at Liam Henderson and Aaron Hickey for proof of that.
Henderson had a stint in Norway with Rosenberg before he moved to Italy eventually and he has improved his game irrevocably. A regular in Serie A for Empoli these days, the midfielder hasn’t looked back since his Parkhead days and was unlucky not to have been kept on at the club. Mikey has the opportunity now to go and show Ange and wider Celtic community just what he is truly capable of when he is on form.
It’s the chance of a lifetime.
Paul Gillespie
