Brendan Rodgers loaned Mikey Johnston to West Brom in the winter despite Celtic struggling.
Brendan Rodgers loaned Mikey Johnston to West Brom in the winter despite Celtic struggling.

West Brom: Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers sends summer message to 'fantastic' Mikey Johnston

Callum O'Connell

Senior Correspondent AUTHORITY Senior football correspondent and podcast host with specialist knowledge across the Premier League and SPFL. FOCUS Transfer news, breaking stories, and behind-the-scenes insight across Arsenal, Liverpool, Celtic, and Manchester United. THE INSIGHT Callum utilises a network of club and industry contacts across the Premier League and SPFL to deliver verified, high-speed reporting. He provides the depth behind the headlines — from breaking transfer news to behind-the-scenes developments — ensuring fans get the full story as it happens.

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Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has sent a message to on-loan West Brom winger Mikey Johnston, insisting the Scottish giants will have to look at him again in the summer.

Rodgers revealed a conversation he had with Johnston ahead of the loan move as he advised him to focus on training well before he could start playing more minutes.

He was pleased with the development his player has made since going on loan, however, as he insisted he has been brilliant and shown everybody how talented he is.

Speaking to the Daily Record [19 March], Rodgers shared: "Brilliant. I’ve said before about Mikey’s talent. He has been here a long time. Listen the shirt is a different weight of shirt when you leave here. But Mikey has always shown the talent.

"I spoke to him in the summer when he was looking to go on loan and I said stay and get your training right because you’ve not had a period of training consistently never mind playing games.

"He was able to do that then he featured in some games for us and once he trained and featured it was then about getting him game time.

"He has gone and done fantastic and shown the talent everyone knows he has. Hopefully, he continues with that and then we can look at it again in the summer."

Could West Brom agree to a permanent deal with Celtic for Mikey Johnston?

Having picked up six goals and one assist in ten games since the move, there is no doubt the winger is thriving in the Championship. Given his form for Albion, it would not come as a shock to see a permanent transfer attempt made.

Carlton Palmer has insisted West Brom could sign Johnston on a permanent deal come the end of his loan spell thanks to the recent takeover and investment from Shilen Patel, as he believes talks will take place at the end of the season.

The winger has also been linked with moves elsewhere off the back of his terrific form at The Hawthorns, with a potential Premier League transfer on the cards in the summer if he continues to impress on loan from Celtic.

West Brom attacker Mikey Johnston
Mikey Johnston has impressed on loan at West Brom from Celtic

However, after what Rodgers shared, it seems his teammates want him to return to Celtic. Whether the club see it the same way is yet to be seen, but Johnston has certainly set tongues wagging as a result of his performances.

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