‘Dazzling footwork’ ‘Instant impact’ Watch how loan Celt brought international week to life

Without doubt international football is the biggest bugbear on the calendar for most football fans, this season more than any other.

Cramming the Champions League out of the way by November 2 was necessary to accommodate the World Cup Finals which took away five weekends from the calendar.

Saturday’s home win over Hibs was what real football is all about but there was no follow up, a full 15 days before Celtic are back in action.

One by one the players disappeared off for international duty with the only real interest being that they return on time, fit and healthy for the real business resuming at Ross County on April 2.

Against Latvia last night Stephen Kenny fielded an experimental side with most eyes on Evan Ferguson of Brighton who didn’t disappoint with a goal capping the teenagers debut.

Just past the hour mark there was a flash-back for the watching Celtic fans- Mikey Johnston coming off the bench in a green shirt.

He didn’t mess about, a few weeks short of his 24^th birthday he had created the winning goal and almost bagged one for himself within five minutes of taking to the pitch.

The fans inside the Aviva Stadium warmed to the newcomer, he had something a bit different, on Monday Johnston can expect to be on the bench against World Cup finalists France.

During the summer there will be big decisions to be taken at Celtic, if Liel Abada is to move on there may already by an in-house replacement ready to step in.