International payback for talented duo
Scotland Under-21 boss Scot Gemmill says that the international recognition afforded Mikey Johnston and Scott Wright has played a big part in their development. The Celtic and Aberdeen attackers have both attracted rave reviews for the quality of their displays over the opening weeks of the season. And that has been precisely no surprise to Gemmill, who has worked with both players at close quarters. “Mikey is a fascinating story as he has had to wait for his opportunity,” he said. “If you trace him back over a couple of years, there was a time when Celtic’s Under-20s weren’t consistently playing him because they felt he wasn’t quite ready in terms of strength and physicality. “That’s no longer the case. So he deserves enormous credit for handling the frustrations he must have had. “There is always a risk at such a huge club – with a capacity to buy players from around the world – of players disappearing. “But there is a brilliant example of what is possible in the shape of Kieran Tierney. “Mikey’s just starting to be with the first-team now, and you can see his unbelievable ability to beat an opponent oneon-one, a skill that is rarer and rarer. “But he needs to be trusted out of possession. His team need to be able to know he’s willing to be able to do that. “Interestingly, in Toulon in the summer, we really challenged Mikey to do the work out of possession. “Throughout the competition he did it, in my opinion more than he’s ever done it. “He accepted the challenge. But in the game against England, when we were winning 1-0, Mikey didn’t track his man and England scored. “That is the challenge to Mikey, to show that he can influence the game. “He scored an unbelievable goal in the same game, but the whole performance has to be there.” Scotland’s influence on Wright has, Gemmill argues, been even more direct. “You saw the way Aberdeen used Scott through the middle to great success against St Mirren. Well, they stole that from us!” Gemmill said. “Scott is similar to Mikey – a top young player who can influence games, but who has also had to wait for his chance. “For a long time, he has probably enjoyed people saying nice things about him. “But I think you could see at the weekend, a real determination to say: ‘I’m ready’. That’s exactly what he needs to do. “He needs to reward everyone who has spoken so highly of him. “He needs to accept that challenge and play with that intensity and determination. “In his performance against St Mirren he did that, and I think there is a renewed determination there. “It is going to be a very exciting season for both him and Mikey.”