Celtic have a number of loanees plying their trade elsewhere ahead of returning to fight for a first-team place in pre-season.
Brendan Rodgers moved to trim his squad mid-season, which has resulted in the likes of Hyeokkyu Kwon, Marco Tilio and Alexandro Bernabei departing to earn regular minutes in alternative environments.
Republic of Ireland winger Mikey Johnston has also found form at West Bromwich Albion, where he has settled like a duck-to-water after failing to nail down a starting slot at Parkhead in the first half of 2023/24.
Fast forward to April, the 24-year-old has registered seven goals and one assist in 13 appearances for the Baggies, who are well in the running to finish in a Sky Bet Championship play-off slot [Transfermarkt].
Last month, West Brom captain Jed Wallace had a thinly veiled dig at Celtic for Johnston’s lack of game time, albeit his comments were tongue-in-cheek.
He stated: “To be honest, he has been unbelievable since he came in the door. He settled straight away and has not looked back. Celtic must have some wingers if he can’t get a game.”
Whether he has a long-term future or not at Celtic, Johnston deserves credit for the way he has managed to perform since arriving south of the border.
Celtic loanee Mikey Johnston earns deserved recognition
Per official West Brom channels, Johnston has been nominated for the March PFA Championship Fans’ Player of the Month Award, where he will be up against Haji Wright, Ethan Ampadu, Leif Davis, Josh Sargent, and Matt Clarke for the top prize.
The Irishman netted four times and laid on one assist last month, helping his side to remain unbeaten as they continue their promotion chase.
Despite only arriving in January, Johnston has earned the highest WhoScored average match rating per Sky Bet Championship match this season, obtaining a score of 7.11/10 for his displays, ranking above the likes of Cedric Kipre, Darnell Furlong and Grady Diangana.
Celtic will have a decision to make on the Lennoxtown graduate this summer, with his stock likely to be at an all-time high due to his run of performances.
Rodgers has to weigh up whether to cash in on the winger or keep him around amid his incremental improvement. Either way, the Bhoys yield a good outcome in this situation.