THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD

Mikey Johnston has been working hard on his own pre-season to get back to full fitness so he can play his part for the Hoops

- TONY CONNELLY

AFTER an extended period out of action through injury, Mikey Johnston is now nearing his much-anticipated return. It’s been a long road back for the Hoops winger, but he’s taken positives from the experience and is desperate to pull on the green and white jersey again and make a contribution.

It’s been almost 10 months since Johnston played his last game for Celtic. That was as a second-half substitute against St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park on January 29. He replaced Leigh Griffiths with just over 20 minutes remaining but picked up a knee injury shortly after his introduction.

At that point in the campaign, Johnston had scored six goals in 20 appearances across all competitions, along with a further six assists and was hopeful of further contributions.

However, it wasn’t just Johnston who saw his season end early. The coronavirus pandemic brought the campaign to an early conclusion which meant he didn’t miss out on as much football as he might have.

Still, the road back has been longer than he first anticipated and he wasn’t able to join the squad for pre-season back in July. Thankfully, Johnston is now at that stage in his own recovery and is focusing on reaching a fitness level that will allow him to begin playing again.

“It’s been tough,” admitted Johnston, speaking exclusively to the Celtic View. “The coaches are wanting to get me fit so I’ve been running a lot and working closely with the sports scientists. I’m just trying to build myself up to a level where I can be involved again.