Tommy repaid TB’s faith with Cup goal
WHEN Tommy Johnson reflects on his Celtic career he thinks of scoring in the 2000 League Cup Final against Aberdeen and hitting the winner in 2001 to clinch the Championship when they played St Mirren.
A few highs for him but he also considers his time at Parkhead was blighted by injury and a few managers that didn’t quite fancy him.
One guy who had total faith in Johnson was Tommy Burns. The striker was the last signing Burns made as manager when he brought him to Glasgow’s East End for £2.5 million in 1997. He rarely featured under future bosses, Wim Jansen, Jozef Venglos and John Barnes.
But when Kenny Dalglish took over from Barnes, he appointed Burns as his assistant and that opened the door for Johnson. The pair were in charge for that success against the Dons 16 years ago.
Johnson enjoyed that period and told The Sunday Post: “Tommy was a great man and I wish he was in charge for longer after he signed me.
“I remember he was gone after a just a few weeks. We lost to Falkirk in the semifinal of the Scottish Cup and that was it.
“There was a lot of negativity surrounding the club at that time because Rangers had won the league again and had equalled nine-in-a-row. I wondered what I had let myself in for.
“So, it was good when Tommy came back into the fold three years later to help out Kenny Dalglish. Tommy liked me and wanted me to succeed.
“He got the best out of me. Kenny also lifted the dressing room because we were in the doldrums a little bit after what had happened under the previous manager with a few unacceptable results.
“In the build up to that League Cup Final against Aberdeen I was carrying an injury and had a fitness test a day or two
before the game. Tommy told me to push myself through it and get into the team. I did and we won. I scored our second goal.
“It was a good victory and it was important to get a trophy because we’d won noting the previous season. We built on it when Martin O’Neill took over a few months later.”
Celtic won the Treble under O’Neill in season 2000-01. The current squad is being tipped to do the same in this campaign. This afternoon’s game is a chance for Brendan Rodgers and his players to put the first piece of silverware in place.
But Johnson knows that, in Aberdeen, the Hoops face a very competent and dangerous opponent.
He said: “Celtic will be desperate for this game. They will have the Barcelona defeat in midweek out of their system and ready to end the week on a high.
“Winning games and, ultimately, prizes, is what football is all about. Players aren’t interested in hard-luck stories and near misses. They want medals and Cups.
“They want to look back on their careers with things to show for it and wonderful memories to share. Brendan Rodgers will also be keen to get that first trophy under his belt.
“I fancy Celtic, strongly. They have some very good players and they are also solid at the back.
“But they must guard against complacency and feeling the job is already done. Perhaps it could be said that their biggest enemy might be themselves.
“Also, Aberdeen are no mugs. I think Derek McInnes has built a really strong squad and they have the necessary quality to beat Celtic in a one-off game. It has the makings of an intriguing contest and I’m looking forward to it.”