West Brom: Jed Wallace reveals what Celtic loanee Mikey Johnston told him behind the scenes at The Hawthorns
Mikey Johnston is currently the best player in the Championship, according to West Brom captain Jed Wallace.
Johnstone, 24, joined Albion on loan from Celtic in the January transfer window and has since helped cement the Black Country club’s spot in the Championship play-off positions.
He’s scored six goals in 10 league appearances for the Baggies and that’s led to Wallace, 29, revealing how despite the on-loan Ireland international’s goalscoring run, he still wants to be a creator who sets up his teammates as well.
“Right now, for me, he’s the best player in the league at the moment, the way he’s playing,” Wallace told The Express & Star (21 March) when talking about Johnston.
“He actually said to me after the QPR game ‘maybe I should’ve played you in on one of them’ and I said ‘the way you’re playing, just kick it towards the goal and we’ll go from there’.
“He’s on fire at the moment.”
Will West Brom sign Mikey Johnston permanently from Celtic?
While Johnston’s form at The Hawthorns is benefitting Albion massively, it’s also benefitting Celtic, who’ll be licking their lips over the winger’s form in the West Midlands.
Johnston was out of favour at Celtic Park but his revived form could lead to him getting back into the frame in the Scottish Premiership.
Or, it could most likely mean that more clubs will want to sign him permanently in the summer and that will bump up his transfer value.
West Brom need to ensure they’re at the front of the queue when it comes to signing the Republic of Ireland ace because we’ve seen it before plenty of times when loanees have come to the Albion, stolen our hearts, and then gone on to be brilliant elsewhere.
If we get promoted, obviously we have a good chance of signing Johnston. Our worry is that if we miss out on going up to the Premier League, there could be clubs in the top-flight who will be able to outbid us in an auction.
But the decision may ultimately come down to MJ, who should see that The Hawthorns could be a place for him to plant some roots and become the star of the show for several years.
He’s also proven that he can perform here – so why not stay?
In other West Brom news, Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has spoken about Johnston.
For more West Brom news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.