Mikey Johnston has been hugely impressive for Celtic’s youth team this season, so perhaps a promotion should be in the offing.
With the Daily Mail reporting at the start of the month that Celtic are set to be without Patrick Roberts for around three months due to a hamstring injury, Brendan Rodgers could arguably do with adding to his wide options in the Hoops first-team.
For some Bhoys supporters, that may mean going out in the January transfer window and finding a replacement – whether that be to cover while Roberts is out or as a long-term option for when he returns to Manchester City at the end of his loan spell.
But perhaps Celtic should instead consider bringing Mikey Johnston back into the first-team fold at Parkhead as he continues to impress for the development side this season.
Johnston – who made his first-team debut at the end of last season when Celtic hosted St Johnstone – was simply brilliant in the recent UEFA Youth League clash with Anderlecht, scoring one, creating another and generally causing the Belgian side’s youngsters a host of problems throughout the fixture.
It was, of course, the 18-year-old who received a standing ovation from the Bayern Munich supporters when the Bavarian team’s youngsters ran out 6-2 winners in October, which is an incredibly impressive feat, especially when you consider the result.
Celtic look set to win the Scottish Premiership title this season as long as they maintain their domestic unbeaten run, so it would perhaps be worth Rodgers throwing Johnston into the mix on a few occasions while Roberts is sidelined in preparation for when the latter departs.
Throwing the teenager out on the wing is not going to cost Celtic anything this season, and it may prove extremely beneficial for the future. He certainly has the talent to make the most of the opportunity – Rodgers should now give him the platform to really prove himself.
Should Johnston get more opportunities this season?
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