Celtic midfielder Mikey Johnston should leave Parkhead this summer in order to become a 'star' man elsewhere, according to former Hoops striker Frank McAvennie.

The Lowdown: Johnston struggles for game-time

Ange Postecoglou's side enjoyed a triumphant 2021/22 season, reclaiming the Premiership title, with a number of players making telling contributions.

Johnston wasn't one of those, however, only starting three league games throughout the entire campaign and failing to register a single goal or assist.

The 23-year-old hasn't been strongly linked with a move away recently, but one pundit believes that he may need to leave Celtic for the betterment of his career.

The Latest: McAvennie urges Johnston to consider moving

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie claimed that Johnston simply isn't good enough to shine for the Hoops but has backed him to excel if he were to move elsewhere.

The 62-year-old said:

"He’s wanting to play and he is a good player, if he goes to another team he’ll be a star. He’s not a striker, he’s like a number ten. And Celtic already have [David] Turnbull, [Reo] Hatate and plenty of other players like that. They’ve got bundles of midfield players.

"But the decision is down to Mikey but I don’t see how he’s going to get into the team. Unless there’s so many injuries. And there will be games where he’ll be played, but do you want to be that player? I think he’s too good to be that player.

"I just don’t think he’s good enough to be in the Celtic team. He’s obviously not consistent enough or he would be in. The problems he has can all be sorted by playing more games."

The Verdict: More likely to stay

Considering the lack of reports suggesting otherwise, it seems likely that Johnston will remain a Celtic player for the time being, although it is hard to see his squad status changing.

Postecoglou now has Champions League football to plan for and could look to sign a new attacking midfielder in order to enhance his team's chances of thriving in Europe's premier club competition.

That would push Johnston further down the pecking order, so it does make sense for him to consider a fresh challenge at some point in the near future, even if it isn't this summer.