Mikey Johnston could save Celtic a fortune on Abada replacement

The Celtic Star

·23 March 2023

Mikey Johnston could save Celtic a fortune on Abada replacement

Mikey Johnston made his Republic of Ireland debut last night against Latvia and made quite the impression by all accounts. A player with a tremendous amount of talent, we have only seen his brilliance in flashes due to recurring injury issues and a lack of confidence at times. Last year though, he did play his part in the Hoops regaining ground on our rivals and eventually usurping them to another League title, with a Cup double for good measure too.

Republic of Ireland v Latvia – International Friendly, Länderspiel, Nationalmannschaft – Aviva Stadium Republic of Ireland s Mikey Johnston during the international friendly match at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin. Picture date: Wednesday March 22, 2023.

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Ange Postecoglou decided he would pitch him for a loan move last summer after failing to really break into a side that had just won silverware and was packed with really creative wide players. Vitoria Guimaraes were the ones who decided to take a punt on the Scots-born Irishman and have reaped the rewards of his undoubted talent on the pitch. The Vitoria manager has remarked on several occasions that Johnston has phenomenal ability but that ultimately, he’s too rich for their blood.

However, at the end of this season he is due to return to the Parkhead outfit so that Ange can assess his development and see if he merits another run in the team. It would be a foolish thing to do, by the looks of it, if we didn’t want to have at least one last look at Mikey close-up and personal before we decide to cut him loose. After all, he’s proven before he has the quality to be a Celtic winger – it was mostly questions about his conditioning and physical resilience.

Celtic’s Israeli striker Liel Abada attends a team training session at the Celtic Training Centre in Lennoxtown, north of Glasgow on October 24, 2022, on the eve of their UEFA Champions League Group F football match against Shakhtar Donetsk. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images)

The manager has proven time and time again that he is so shrewd in the transfer market and that could see us pull another major coup this coming summer transfer window. The noise has been surfacing in recent days that Liel Abada wants a move away from the club and that has been covered thoroughly here on The Celtic Star, which you can read all about right here.

If our little Israeli warrior wants to leave, I will not deny it, it would upset me quite a bit, for I really rate Abada highly and reckon he has so much more development in him at Celtic Park. But as we’ve seen so many times now; if Ange Postecoglou doesn’t think your here for the long-haul, he has no compunction granting you a move out the door to pastures new. Giorgos Giakoumakis and Josip Juranovic weren’t given any special dispensation and Ange thanked them for their efforts and sent them on their way.

Johnston’s predicament could become very interesting this close season, if indeed Abada wishes to move on to another league, where perhaps he will receive more regular minutes and a higher salary at his age. It’s undeniable that with losing a wide man, it opens up a space in the squad for another body to come in and fill that space with the same type of quality.

Mikey Johnston celebrates as he scores his team’s second goal during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Hearts at Celtic Park on May 19, 2019. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Now, although Liel’s numbers have been sensational for us, especially in front of goal, what can’t be underestimated is the raw ability that young Michael Johnston when he’s in full-flow. The snippets from last night’s Republic of Ireland international match have been doing the rounds, and he looks mightily impressive you’d have to admit, even if you have given up hope for him at the Hoops.

When he returns to the club for pre-season the manager and backroom staff will have a far better gauge of how far he has come in Portugal and if it has given him a big enough platform to go and cement a place in this current Celtic squad. If he has thought, it could really be a stroke of genius, as the Bhoys look like they will be needing a replacement for the wantaway Israeli star Abada. It could save Celtic a fortune on a replacement for the young winger and also add another homegrown talent to the roster for the European registration rules.

Something tells me that Mikey’s time in a Celtic shirt isn’t up, just yet…

Paul Gillespie

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