Joe Hart makes big claim about struggling Celtic star

Celtic are riding a great run of form at the moment. They sit a point ahead of the Rangers in the Premiership table, are in the Scottish Cup quarter-final and are also set to take on Bodo/Glimt in a big UEFA Europa Conference League tie. It is safe to say that Ange Postecoglou must be delighted with how well his side are doing at the moment. But that does not mean that they do not have their fair share of worries.

Throughout the course of the campaign, their biggest problem has been injuries. Key players like Kyogo, David Turnbull and others are out right now. And the name of Mikey Johnston might potentially have been added to that list as he was forced off the pitch against Raith Rovers.

Johnston has had to deal with a series of injuries over the past couple of years and that has resulted in his development stalling. The talented Celtic youngster has struggled to make an impact this season even when he has been on the pitch.

Joe Hart seemed to be sympathetic of Johnston’s situation. As reported by Football Scotland, he told Celtic TV:

"“Mikey Johnston is a cheeky boy, but someone I really like and I really want to do well.“He’s an incredibly talented player.“He’s been through a lot of difficult injuries that maybe people on the outside don’t necessarily understand.“It’s not their job to understand, but he’s getting his head down, he’s got a good personality and he’s a top player.”"

Hart makes big claim about struggling Celtic star

There has never been any question about Johnston’s talent or potential. He had made a tremendous start at Celtic when he had come through the youth ranks and broken into the first-team picture.

Since then, the going has been tough for him though as he has suffered one injury after the other and it has appeared that he has been struggling to find his rhythm on the pitch. He was incredibly effective in his early appearances for Celtic but has not managed to make an impact on games this season.

As a result, he appears to have been written off by many supporters already. And while it remains to be seen how things turn out for Johnston, it might be too early to give up on such a talent.