Summer Celtic target Marvin Johnson proving to be Middlesbrough’s game-changer

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Middlesbrough won the race to sign Oxford United flyer Marvin Johnson this summer – ahead of Celtic and another 29 interested clubs.

As highly as Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers rates teenage left-back Calvin Miller, the club are still running a risk failing to replace the experienced Emilio Izaguirre.

The Honduran, who won six league titles at Parkhead, left to join Saudi Arabian side Al-Fayha this summer, leaving Kieran Tierney as the only senior left-back on the Champions’ books.

Therefore, you wonder whether Marvin Johnson could have come in useful. The Oxford United flyer was one of the most in-demand players in the whole of Britain last summer with a vast array of clubs, from Celtic and Manchester City to Birmingham and Aston Villa, reportedly interested.

Magic Johnson

The Daily Record reported that up to 30 clubs watched Johnson in action in a League One clash with Bury last season and Celtic were hoping to bring him back to Scotland just a year after arriving in Oxford from Motherwell for a bargain fee of just £500,000.

Instead, big-spending Middlesbrough completed the £3 million signing of the 26-year-old (The Mirror), who is equally comfortable playing as a flying winger into a rampaging full-back.

And Boro’s investment is already starting to be paid back with interest. Johnson has started just one Championship game for Garry Monk’s side, making another couple of appearances off the bench, but he already has one goal and two assists to his name.

Johnson’s pinpoint delivery from the left put goals for Lewis Baker and Britt Assombalonga on a garnished plate as Boro edged out QPR 3-2 on Saturday.

Celtic, meanwhile, will be praying that Tierney stays fit throughout the entire season with the talented yet vastly inexperienced Miller the only natural back-up option.