Celtic winger Mikey Johnston came off the bench in his side’s 0-0 draw with Hibernian on Saturday afternoon. The 24-year-old was sloppy in some of his play but did show some encouraging signs.
Many were surprised to see the attacker make an appearance although his manager Brendan Rodgers has revealed he has been keeping up the consistency behind closed doors. He said (Glasgow Times): “As much as you want to play, you have to be available to play, and you have to be able to train to play. Thankfully, over these last couple of months, we’ve seen that. He’s not missed a day’s training. He’s finding that robustness and getting up to game speed.”
Johnston will be aiming to keep up his current training levels to ensure he receives more opportunities in games. There is vast competition for places, but the Ireland international was deserving of his chance on Saturday. Rodgers said: “He’s earned his chance to come in and play, but it’s a big squad, and that’s what I’ve got to look at. But certainly, he warranted the opportunity to come in and affect the game.”
He may not have managed to make the impact he would have liked to, although for Johnston to get back on the pitch for Celtic after 18 months was only positive for him. Between now and January, he has the opportunity to impress Rodgers day by day as he fights for a place at his boyhood club.
