Celtic secured a convincing 3-0 victory at Dens Park on Boxing Day. Paulo Bernardo set the tone for the match with an opening goal before Mikey Johnston emerged from the bench to score a brace, sealing the win for the Hoops.
Celtic’s manager Brendan Rodgers expressed particular satisfaction with Mikey Johnston’s contribution. Rodgers acknowledged the challenges Johnston faced in recent weeks and months. He highlighted the physical and mental demands of consistent play, including the high expectations and intensity required at the club.
However, Rodgers praised Johnston’s ability to influence the game as a substitute, noting his capacity to bring energy and impact off the bench.
As quoted by The Times, the gaffer said, “For Mikey, he can make that impact.
“The challenge for Mikey was the fact that he had played a lot of games back to back and he hasn’t done that much for Celtic. The intensity, demand and expectation can become difficult, but he can certainly come off the bench and make an impact. It can give him confidence.
“The beauty with Mikey is that he’s stayed fit. It’s up to him whether he’s going to be a Celtic player, but we keep working with him and we feel he can come into the game and make an impact. We were pleased for him to get the two goals.”
It’s a good confidence booster for Johnston, and it should do the world of good for him. He’s not Celtic quality, though, and he probably never will be.
You’d imagine he is a player who could possibly make an exit in January, with Celtic looking to trim the squad.
