Mikey Johnston Is Thriving In Portugal, But Is He Good Enough To Return For Celtic?

Before Mikey Johnston left this club on loan – which was one of the most expected developments of the whole summer – he was offered, and signed, a new deal at Celtic.

Few people in the support expected that. Mikey was one of those guys who I think we all felt might benefit from a fresh start elsewhere. But the powers here at Celtic have offered him a way back home.

Or did they? Were they really holding open the return door, or making sure we got a good fee if we ultimately decide to sell? Does Mikey really have a future here after all, or is this something else? Is this, in fact, Mikey being fattened up for the market?

I am going to say no.

I’m going to say that this is Mikey being prepared for a return after all. Someone – and no prizes for guessing who – thinks that he can be polished and made into the finished article, and if Ange believes that it would take a brave person indeed to bet the other way.

We have seen a genuine talent there, but only in little fits and starts and very rarely when there is serious pressure on him. But it’s obvious if you watch Mikey that he has more in his locker than, say, a player like Ibrox’s overhyped Ryan Kent … Mikey has more talent in one big toe than Kent does in his whole box of tricks and I’d defy anyone to argue otherwise.

The big questions, for Mikey, have always been first whether he can play under pressure and two whether he can stake his claim for a place in this team with so many other top talents in front of him in the queue. That job got even harder when we signed Haksabanovic, who is beginning to look like a real find. He will struggle to even get on the bench right now.

But that’s sort of the point. Mikey is better away on loan than sitting on the bench, and he’s certainly better off away than sitting in the stand. As with every player who isn’t quite where he hoped to be in his career at this point, he had a decision to make and everyone agrees, I think, that he made the right one.

If he’s thriving it’s because he plays games which is more than he would here, and that alone justifies the move.

If he really does make it over there, and if he returns here as a better, more complete, player then the door really will be open for him and anything goes.

One of the things he has on his side, after all, is his status as a home-grown player. It wouldn’t be enough if he genuinely had nothing to offer us, but since know he does that might just be crucial in helping him chart a way back to Celtic as a first team footballer.

It will not be easy. But in this guy’s time here so far nothing has been. He’s doing the right things at the moment. That can only mean good things in his future, whether it’s at Celtic or not.