Mikey Johnston is close to completing an international switch to Ireland.
The winger has been capped by Scotland at all levels upto u-21 but his career has stalled over the last couple of seasons resulting in going out on loan to Vitoria Guimaraes.
Getting free of injury and a run of games has been the target for Johnston but with his move expiring in the summer he hasn’t been starting matches for Guimaraes since the turn of the year.
Looking at his international switch, the Irish Independent reports:
Celtic winger Mikey Johnston, a Glaswegian who is currently on loan with Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes, has opted to switch his international allegiance to Ireland.
The 23-year-old has been in talks with Stephen Kenny over the winter and it’s understood he has gone through the requisite process to apply for a switch to Irish colours. He qualifies for Ireland by virtue of his grandparents being from Derry.
Final clearance from FIFA is believed to be imminent and that would make Johnston an outside contender for the double-header with Latvia and France later this month.
Ireland manager Stephen Kenny was in Portugal on Monday night to take a closer look at the former Scottish U-21 international in a league game, but Johnston was an unused sub in fifth-placed Vitoria’s win over Braga.
He was first choice up until Christmas but has been in and out of the side since then in a loan spell that was designed to get his career back on track after a nightmare run with injuries.
It is hard to see Johnston returning to Celtic as a first team contender unless things pick up rapidly in Portugal. At Hampden on Sunday James Forrest was left out of the squad with Liel Abada and Sead Haksabanovic the back-up wingers.
At the end of this season Albian Ajeti, Vasilis Barkas and Ismaila Soro are among the players returning from loan spells as well as others that have barely played such as Liam Shaw and Osaze Urhoghide.
