West Brom must save Mikey Johnston from Celtic after Brendan Rodgers pre-season altercation
West Brom fans did exactly what football fans are told not to do with loan players and fell in love with Celtic’s Mikey Johnston last season.
The 25-year-old winger hit the ground running at The Hawthorns, opening his account for the Baggies in his first start for the club, hitting the back of the Cardiff City net after just one minute.
That set the standard for the Republic of Ireland international, who went on to notch seven goals and one assist in 18 Championship appearances before heading back to Celtic Park at the end of his loan spell.
Despite having such a telling impact in the West Midlands, Johnston’s services look to be surplus to requirement under Brendan Rodgers, with Hoops fans eager for the club to part ways with the player.
Carlos Corberan’s side are keen on welcoming the exciting winger back to The Hawthorns this summer, according to The Sun [25 June], with Celtic prepared to sanction his exit.
Although the Hoops claimed a surprise 4-3 victory over Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side in North Carolina on Tuesday 23 July, a moment between Johnston and Rodgers looked to be one of the main talking points.
West Brom to save Mikey Johnston from Celtic nightmare
With the score at 3-2, the Celtic boss was furious with the 25-year-old and was spotted striding down the technical area and barking orders after the player’s attempted backheel was sent straight out of play [Daily Record].
While every manager has the right to punish his players, this outburst seems a little too far, especially when winning against the current Premier League champions in a pre-season friendly.
Johnston is a player full of trickery and excitement. Once in a while, one of his attempted skills is bound to backfire, and Rodgers should expect that after multiple years at the club.
However, the Ireland international looks to be coming to the end of his time in Scotland, especially after the altercation with Rodgers, and West Brom need to be the first club waiting in line to grab his signature on the way out.
In other West Brom news, the Baggies have sealed an “excellent” move for the next Fikayo Tomori.
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