Struggling Celtic player might have saved Parkhead career

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FBL-EUR-C1-CELTIC-PRESSER / ANDY BUCHANAN/GettyImages
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Some Celtic players have certainly seen their situations improve following the arrival of Brendan Rodgers as manager in the summer as Ange Postecoglou left for Tottenham Hotspur. Of course, the name on the top of that list is that of Liam Scales, who went from the bottom of the pecking order to being a starter.

David Turnbull has seen his position in the squad improve as well. And while Matt O'Riley was always viewed as one of the club's most important players, nobody can overlook his improvements under the management of Rodgers.

Another player looking to resurrect his Celtic career right now is Mikey Johnston. And he might have takent the first step towards that with his performance against St Johnstone.

Johnston had been left on the bench but he was brought on at the break in place of Yang Hyun-jun, who struggled in the first half. The Republic of Ireland international put in an excellent display against St Johnstone and was instrumental in the Hoops turning the game around.

Struggling Celtic player might have saved his Parkhead career with performance vs St Johnstone

Rodgers was full of praise for Johnston after the match against St Johnstone. As reported by the club's official website, the Celtic manager said:

"I’m really pleased. I thought Oh was strong and aggressive, Mikey was very, very good. In the duels he looked after the ball but he was really sharp and impressive when he was one-v-one situations.

“Obviously Jamesy coming into the game as well, he scores with a great finish and Tomo breaking forward from midfield to make the pass.

“So yeh, I though all the subs contributed but Mikey was excellent when he came in."

Of course, Johnston will need to show a lot more than a good 45-minute substitute appearance to rise up the pecking order. But with Daizen Maeda and Liel Abada out injured right now, there is an opportunity for him to get some minutes and make an impression on Rodgers.

There has never been a question about Johnston's talents. But it is more about him remaining fit and developing at the senior level.

Johnston has made a couple of positive appearances recently, which should have done wonders for his confidence. Let's see where things go from here.