Johnston’s delighted to be back on the ball

AT a time when the motivation of a number of Celtic players is open to reasonable debate, the re-emergence of Mikey Johnston offers a slither of comfort to Neil Lennon.

Long heralded as the most talented young Scot to have emerged from the club’s academy since Kieran Tierney, the winger’s progress has been halted by injury over the last 12 months.

Coronavirus, or rather the club hierarchy’s ridiculous decision to take the squad to Dubai for a training camp in the middle of a pandemic, resulted in the 21-year-old being handed his first start since Burns Night, 2020.

Among the 13 players forced into self-isolation after being identified as close contacts of the Covid-positive Christopher Jullien in the wake of the trip were the club’s full contingent of first-team strikers — Odsonne

Edouard, Leigh Griffiths, Albian Ajeti and Patryk Klimala.

And so, a little over two years on from the day Brendan Rodgers started the then teenager as an emergency striker against Rangers at Ibrox, Johnston was again ploughing that lone furrow last Monday night against Hibs before switching to a wide-left berth for yesterday’s visit of Livingston.

‘The circumstances were a bit different,’ admits Johnston (right). ‘But I was just happy to be back on the pitch.

‘It’s been a year since my last start so it is good to get the minutes under my belt. It’s not my first-choice role but I enjoy it, to be fair.’

Johnston’s return from injury was a drawn-out and complicated affair. A knee injury sustained at St Johnstone last winter required an operation but his rehabilitation also included corrective surgery on both calves.

The restrictions during the initial lockdown extended the timescale for recovery. The time out was frustrating but it did allow for plenty of rest.

‘I worked really hard in the gym, doing everything I could to get my body right, get fit for this half of the season,’ he continued. ‘I feel in a good place at the moment and when there are 13 players out there’s obviously going to be more chance of me playing. If this is my chance then I have to take it.’

There has been some crass talk of the risk/reward strategy behind Celtic’s trip to the Middle East. Setting aside the club’s willingness to absorb any of the former at a time when wider society cannot leave the house except for essential purposes, far less visit family, Johnston felt physically stronger for the work undertaken in the sun.

He said: ‘The sessions were longer and we also had the heat so I definitely took something away from Dubai — it was a good trip for me.

‘The sessions were high intensity, similar to previous years, and we have always reaped the rewards of that.’