Mikey Johnston is making a ‘big impact’ at West Brom with the Celtic loanee scoring an ‘unbelievable’ solo goal for the Championship promotion-chasers against Plymouth Argyle on Tuesday night.
Speaking to the Midlands media shortly after his arrival at The Hawthorns, the Celtic-owned winger indicated that the ‘pressure’ he was used to playing under north of the border would stand him in good stead at a Baggies outfit with top-six ambitions.
And, with two goals in his last three Championship outings now, Mikey Johnston is proving to be as good as his word. The Ireland international needed only 36 seconds to open his West Brom account against Cardiff City last week.
He had to be a little more patient at Home Park. But his second in Baggies colours – smashed in with 76 minutes on the clock – was certainly worth the wait.
Mikey Johnston shining after Celtic exit
“What a corker,” Albion legend Tony Brown told the BBC Radio West Midlands after Johnston cut inside onto his right foot and rifled a shot into the roof of the Plymouth net.
“What a brilliant strike. He did everything right. He’s got it on the left-hand side, he’s come into the box, he’s got it on his right foot, and he’s released an unstoppable strike straight in the top corner.
“No chance for the Plymouth goalkeeper. Brilliant play from Johnston. Absolutely brilliant. Unbelievable.”
West Brom’s softly-spoken head coach Carlos Corberan was not quite so openly effusive in his description of Johnson’s impact. But having won three of their five league games with the Glasgow-born 24-year-old in the team, Johnston is already proving to be a potentially difference-making addition to a team well-placed to secure a play-off spot.
‘Mikey made a big difference’
“The second goal was all about having first-team players to come on and produce a moment like that. Mikey made a big difference to the result tonight,” Corberan tells the West Brom website.
“Mikey is a player that offers us a lot of possibilities. He is a winger who can play wider than he played today. But, at the same time, he can play more as a playmaker.”
Johnston now has as many goals in just five games for West Brom as he managed in 12 for Celtic in the first half of the campaign. And with Brendan Rodgers’ side flattering to deceive north of the border – his January replacement Nicolas Kuhn would struggle to nail down a starting place at Kilmarnock according to one pundit – Corberan’s gain could prove to be Celtic’s loss.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
