MIKEY JOHNSTON did not take long to endear himself to the Irish fans.
Just moments after coming off the bench at the Aviva Stadium earlier this week for his international debut, the winger went on one of his customary exciting runs forward before unleashing a powerful strike from just inside the area.
The 23-year-old, the epitome of an impact sub, was unlucky to see his shot come back off the post, but Chiedozie Ogbene — who had also just come on — was on hand for the simple finish into the empty net after the ball deflected into his path to secure Ireland a morale-boosting 3-2 win in Wednesday’s friendly with Latvia.
Ireland 3-2 Latvia:
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) March 22, 2023
Shortly after being introduced Chiedozie Ogbene is on hand to restore Ireland's lead
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Speaking after an eye-catching performance on his big night, Johnston told reporters: “It was disappointing not to score but I was so happy to make my debut there, I had a couple of chances, sometimes it just doesn’t go in for you but the most important thing is we got the win going into the France game, the boys are happy, we’re disappointed with conceding the two goals but we showed great character to come back, it’s a great group.”
He continued: “You can always make an impact, it’s something I should be able to do anyway as an attacking player, you want to make an impact in games, I watched the first half and I felt I could be direct in the game and I am glad that I did that.”
Somewhat of a teenage prodigy, an 18-year-old Johnston made his Scottish Premiership debut all the way back in the 2016-17 season.
Since then, the winger has made over 50 league appearances for Celtic before joining Portuguese top-flight side Vitória de Guimarães on loan at the start of this season.
The 23-year-old has had a torrid spell with injuries in almost six years since making his Celtic debut, thereby limiting his game time and progress in Scotland.
“I have been in and out all the time, international breaks for me a lot of the time was me trying to get my body right, you get a week or two sometimes and I’d be doing stuff in the gym to get myself right, I had a tough time with surgeries and injuries, that was a time when I could get myself back feeling good, like a reset button. I have got myself in a place now where I feel I am ready to play international football.
“Last year I did still play 20 games for Celtic so it’s not like I was pushed out the door, I played in a cup final for [Ange Postecoglou], he gave me an extra year when I left the club so that gave me the faith to say he wants me to come back to the club and produce.
“There are a lot of players in that position, maybe six or seven wingers including myself, I needed consistency, needed more minutes, we had an honest conversation and he said it was best I went elsewhere, to get the minutes and I was fine with that. I needed a bit of a freshen-up, opinions about me weren’t accurate and I wanted to change that. I had to get away from the UK, to be honest.”
Johnston’s stint in Portugal has been encouraging. Vitoria are currently fifth, just one place below a Sporting side who recently knocked Arsenal out of the Europa League.
The 23-year-old has made 21 appearances in all competitions, 15 of which have been in the league.
“I had quite a bad time with injuries in the last couple of years, for a full year — touch wood — I have been fine and managed to get myself back to full fitness. Vitoria has been a great platform for me, they are in a big league, maybe a year or two ago they were in the top five leagues in the world, it’s a really competitive league, I have had a lot of starts, a lot of games, a lot of consistency which is what I needed.”
Ireland boss Stephen Kenny even went to the trouble of travelling over to Portugal to watch Johnston in the flesh, but unfortunately, it happened to be on one of the occasions he was named on the substitutes’ bench.
“We went out for breakfast and he didn’t even see me play. We did chat the next morning, it’s disappointing he came over and I didn’t even get a bloody minute. It was a wee bit in my head, he won’t pick me [now]. But he had watched enough games, the team in the background, analysing my games, he’d seen enough to pick me, and now it’s down to me to repay him.”
A former Scotland underage international, Johnston’s decision to switch allegiances has inevitably raised eyebrows, but the Glasgow-born footballer is confident he has made the right call.
“It’s always been talked about, it’s in my family, in my blood. My mum and dad, we had a conversation, and they said: ‘Go for it if it’s what you want.’ I have some family in Derry, Donegal, and Dublin as well, I have them all over the place but Derry is the link. I have had texts from all my aunties and stuff from all over Ireland that I didn’t know I even had.”
In the past, others who have followed that same route has received significant flak, most notably Aiden McGeady, but Johnston says his choice should not be ridiculed.
“I think times have changed, I made this decision, people respect that or they don’t. I am my own man and they’ll never know the reasons why I did it.”
And finally, is the long-term plan to regain his place in the Celtic team?
“We will see, I want to enjoy football and I want to play, I don’t want to sit on the bench and not get games, I just want to feel important.”
