Mikey Johnston

I'd feel more confident in Mikey Johnston starting over Burke/Sinclair/Hayes next week. Showed more today than either of those 3 have since the turn of the year.

 

Hes going to turn into a Cristiano Ronaldo type machine. Heard it here first.

 

Mikey Johnston admits it’s only taken a week to take the step from Bhoy to man after suffering growing pains against Rangers.

The Celtic kid fired a double against Hearts to cap a trophy day to remember and put some distance between an Ibrox outing last Sunday that brought criticism from both the fans and his manager Neil Lennon.


That 2-0 loss to the Light Blues brought physical and mental questions to bear for a 20-year-old who delivered a sub-standard display but he insists he’s a quick learner.

Johnston said: “A lot of people were saying stuff but you need to block it out and show a bit of confidence.

“It has been tough, it’s hard to block it out. But you have to bounce back and if you can do that it only makes you stronger.

“I have played in two huge games, which is great experience and you can only benefit from it in the long run.


When you are a forward it’s hard to play well when the team doesn’t play well but today we bounced back well and you could see it in our performance.

When you are not confident it can show at times, so you have to play with a bit of arrogance.

“It’s tough for a young player to have that belief and confidence all the time but I know the lads here and the manager are backing me.



With a host of first-team regulars given the day off, this was an occasion to give the teenagers a taste of big-time action and allow a few fringe men a last audition to be a part of things at Hampden.

With the prospect of a treble treble on the horizon this weekend, Johnston believes the weight of history and the magnitude of what’s at stake on Saturday will have to be parked and the focus polarised on the task at hand.

The youngster is just hoping his double will get him a national stadium start.


He said: “‘I just turn up every day and work hard in training. All I can do is try to show the gaffer what I can do and play my best any time I get a chance.”

Johnston also heaped praise on Hoops debutant Karamoko Dembele who was handed a debut which provided the biggest talking point of the afternoon. And the 20-year-old admits the hype is well justified despite Dembele being four years his junior.

He said: “Karamoko is an exceptional talent. He was brilliant when he came on and you could see the confidence he has in abundance. It shows in how he plays.


He really showed what he can do in spells. There’s obviously a lot of hype around him but I think it’s justified.

“He just needs to deal with that and make sure he has good people around him. I’m sure everyone at the club – the fans, the staff and all the older players – will be really help him and keep his feet on the ground. He has trained with the first team quite a few times now and he has shown us all how good he is.

“The fans got a glimpse of that here in this match. He’s still only 16 so he’s still got a lot of hard work to do but he’s a great talent.


Johnston also insists the prospect of being sent on loan to continue his progress next season isn’t high on his agenda.

He said: “People have talked about loan spells a couple of times – and it’s something the club have stopped me from doing.

 

Thought it when I first saw him play and I still think it now. This boy has talent. Can see him having a Forrest-esque career at Celtic.

 

Exactly. Look what it did for Callum McGregor.

 

He has fantastic ability and potential. Him, Henderson and Dembele were terrific today. They really gave the side a much needed boost and freshness that has been missing for a while.

I think it would do Mikey the world of good if he started to bulk up slightly just like Tierney did. The difference in KT from when he first came in to the side to now is huge.

 

He has progressed well already though, when he first started getting a game like 2 years ago he was really lightweight and had no power in his running. He's noticably stronger and faster now.

Im not worried about him, he's quality technically and he is best on the left but has barely played there because Sinclair but will eventually take that place.

The way he plays reminds me of Ribery, they way he controls the ball with 2 feet, darts past players and can stop and run very quickly, great dribbler as well and trickery about him also a goalscorer. Will probably take him a year or two before he is in full flight.

 

No, no, no & no. He's far better than what we have in Sinclair and Hayes. Why would we loan out a player that is better than what else we have in his position!? The only reason would be mismanagement by playing inferior players. Been saying it for a while but he should be here and playing. Start 15/20games sub in 15 more minimum. Thats more than achievable for him considering the impact he is capable of.

 

He looked good yesterday.

 

Let's save money by giving him a chance instead of buying a winger. He's ready for most games in Scotland.

 

I think people are getting a little bit carried away! There is no doubting that he was excellent yesterday, but that was hardly a competitive game. He clearly has the potential to be a very good player, but he needs a spell of starting every game and getting the consistency needed to play for Celtic.

Last week, it seemed like most people felt he needed a loan move next season; an excellent performance in what was little more than a friendly against a weak Hearts shouldn't change that.

 

A loan move would defo benefit him and us no doubt.

 

He has definitely got stronger since first coming into the first team but I still think think he is a bit slight. I don’t think it’s essential I just think it would benefit him. I noticed his turn of pace yesterday, it definitely has improved.

Ribery is a very good comparison actually.

 

Wether we loan him or not really depends on who we bring in. In the wide positions we’ve got Forrest, Sinclair, Shved and Hayes. I think he would struggle to push for a starting place in that mix but at the same time looks to have an element of trickery that could be very useful for unlocking tight defences domestically.

If we can find the right flub for him - championship or SPFL where he’s going to get regular game time - I think a loan could be beneficial. Gives us a year to assess Shved and decide on Sinclair’s future.

 

We also have Daniel Arzani next year.

 

Loan him out for one, maybe two seasons, just like we did with Christie.

Needs to bulk up big time.