Mikey Johnston impressed as he made his Republic of Ireland debut against Latvia on Wednesday night.
The Celtic winger came off the bench in the second half with the game tied at 2-2 and played a key role as the Boys in Green went on to win 3-2.
Johnston, making his first appearance for Ireland after switching allegiance from Scotland, broke free down the left and fired against the foot of the post, and Chiedozie Ogbene pounced on the rebound to restore the lead.
READ MORE: Feels like hopes pinned on 18-year-old Evan Ferguson rollercoaster Latvia win
Johnston, currently on loan at Vitoria Guimaraes in Portugal, was denied a goal of his own six minutes from time when he carved his way through the Latvia defence, but saw his shot repelled by defender Marcis Oss’ brave block.
Fans liked what they saw from the 23-year-old and took to social media to praise the youngster after the match.
One said: "Mikey Johnston offers something completely different which is why Kenny wanted him. Brilliant on debut off the bench. Showed plenty of what Celtic fans know of him. Only ever started seven league matches in a season for them so just needs to get playing regularly and stay fit."
Another commented: "What an impact by Mikey Johnston, Ogbene’s impressive goal’s return continues."
One other tweeted: "Very impressive debut from Mikey Johnston. The type of player we haven’t had in a while. Excellent stuff."
"Mikey Johnston was such an exciting talent when he broke through at Celtic. So unlucky with injuries. Great to see him look so confident on his Ireland debut tonight. A rare winger who tries to beat defenders," read another post.
Speaking after Wednesday's match, manager Stephen Kenny said he didn't want to look too far into the future after seeing 18-year-old striker Evan Ferguson score on his senior debut.
He commented: “It’s never straightforward with players. Injuries can take their toll with young players. The demands are high in the leagues they are in and sometimes that happens.
“What we have now is a high number of players who have come through, unprecedented in our history the number in a short proximity. That has given us depth in our squad.
“Evan, it’s his first start and he got a goal. You can’t predict things in the future. He is still learning the game and he took everything in his stride.
“Will, having watched a lot of Stoke recently, I’m just so impressed with how he has kicked on. He has added other aspects to his game so he has given us something to think about.
“Mikey, that was a snapshot of what Mikey can be.”
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