Celtic winger Mikey Johnston continues to impress in his loan spell at West Bromwich Albion, so much so that he was yesterday named English Championship Player of the Month.
The Irish international has scored seven goals and proved one assist in just 14 games for the Midlands club and is clearly enjoying his loan spell at the Hawthorns, and could help West Brom win that coveted promotion back to the Premier League.
That might have come as a surprise to most Celtic supporters, but Mikey is undoubtedly a talented player, he’s just not showed that at Celtic on a consistent basis due to many reasons including injury.
That said, I don’t think he has a future at Celtic and I think the overwhelming majority of Celtic supporters will agree. He’s just about to turn 25 so he’s not a youngster anymore. While he has undoubted talent, he’s not got the physical or mental ability to play for Celtic. that’s been proven over the many years he’s been at the club.
That doesn’t mean he can’t have a decent career elsewhere. Look how he’s flourishing down south with West Brom. Sometimes players are not suited to certain clubs, and that is the case regarding Mikey at Celtic. He’s clearly thriving away from the pressures of being a Celtic player.
Speaking to The Celtic Star at Lennoxtown, Brendan Rodgers yesterday spoke of his admiration for Mikey and his belief that he can make his mark at Celtic next season.
Brendan Rodgers told The Celtic Star Editor:
“In terms of Mikey, shifting onto him, I’m absolutely delighted for him, because he’s a young player that I always said I rated highly. It’s been a challenge for him the past couple of years with injuries and having to go out on loan to play.
“The first six months of his time here, I said to him ‘Just prove that you’re fit and have the fitness level to sustain and train every day and be able to be available for games.’ In fairness to him, he did that, and by the end, he was contributing for us.
“He really needed games, he’s 24 years of age and needed to get out and play. What he’s shown and demonstrated is no surprise. I said it before, he’s one of the best talents to come out of the academy. He’s quick, he’s direct and he can score goals.
“For him to go there and get that award – with some outstanding players in the Championship – it shows you how well he’s done. Hopefully, he can continue with that and come back to here in the summer and be really energised again and full of confidence and be ready to make an impact.”
That had several Celtic supporters in a frenzy, but they needn’t worry.
In my opinion, Brendan was just being cute, nothing more. He’s not daft, he knows Mikey’s value will have rocketed due to his blistering form down south. He’s only protecting his asset and making sure the club are in the driving seat when it comes to negotiating the best possible fee for Mikey.
If West Brom do get promotion to the Premier League you would imagine that Mikey might fancy a shot at playing in one of the top league’s in world football.
Watch Brendan’s media conference below…
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
