Mikey Johnston says 'we will see' on a long-term return to Celtic but he has one condition for playing for the Hoops.
The young winger, who made a big call on his international future this week by representing and impressing for Ireland over Scotland, is enjoying a fruitful spell on loan at Vitoria Guimarães in Portugal after he revealed an 'honest' conversation with Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou. Johnston made 20 appearances since the Aussie's arrival and still has three years on his current deal in Glasgow.
Yet the 23-year-old insists he had to 'get out' of the cauldron that is Scottish football but pointed to the fact he was handed a new deal under Postecoglou's reign. Johnston believes there is still a place for him at Parkhead, despite needing a 'freshen up' in Europe, but that committing himself long-term to Celtic would mean he needs minutes, and not to just 'sit on the bench'.
READ MORE: Kyogo gushes over Celtic 'tears in my eyes' moment as he reveals what squad told him during injury
He said: “Last season I still played 20 games for Celtic, so it’s not like I was pushed out the door.
“I played in a cup final for the manager and he gave me an extra year when I left the club, so that gave me the faith to say he wants me to come back and produce. I needed consistency and more minutes.
“We had an honest conversation and he said it was best that I went elsewhere to get it. I was fine with that. I needed a freshen up. Opinions on me weren’t accurate and I wanted to change that. I had to get away from the UK, to be honest.
“Portugal has been really good. I had quite a bad time with injuries in the last couple of years. For a full year, touch wood, I have been fine and managed to get back to full fitness.
"Vitoria has been a great platform for me. They are in a big league and it’s really competitive. I have had a lot of starts, a lot of games, a lot of consistency, which is what I needed.
“Will I be back at Celtic long-term? We will see. I don’t want to sit on the bench. I just want to feel important.”
READ NEXT:
- Liel Abada in Celtic injury six word response as update 'revealed' after Israel fear
- Ben Doak lands prestigious NXGN list spot as ex-Celtic and Liverpool star joins global top talents
- Mikael Lustig reveals Celtic transfer exit option to Sevilla after just SIX MONTHS at Parkhead
