A player who can keep the fans on the edge of their seats; a very rare commodity in the modern game.
That was the opinion of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny when asked about the growing reputation of one of his latest recruits to the national team.
And Mikey Johnston is ready to make his mark with the Republic of Ireland during the June international window as Kenny's side first take on Greece in Athens on Friday night, before returning to Dublin to host Gibraltar on Monday.
A Scotland international up to U21 level, the Glaswegian then declared for Ireland and made an immediate impact on his international debut in March as he came off the bench in the friendly international against Latvia at the Aviva Stadium.
Johnston was denied a debut goal, with what was his first interaction on the ball, by the width of the Lansdowne Road post. However, it did lead to the match-winning strike as Chiedozie Ogbene was on hand to help home the rebound.
The on-loan Celtic man’s introduction for the final third of that game proved a real breath of fresh air and created an audible sense of excitement and expectation every time that he touched the ball in a game that Ireland had somehow managed to throw away a two-goal lead.
Such was Johnston’s impact in the game, the manager trusted him to come on and make an impact in the high-profile clash with World Cup finalists France just days later, as Ireland were narrowly beaten 1-0 in their opening Euro 2024 qualifier.
And now the second game of the qualifying campaign has arrived as Kenny’s side face a difficult away day in Athens, where they are taking on a side of similar standard, albeit one who are showing good form, coupled with the advantage of playing in the familiar June heat.
The Irish squad, on the other hand, have been busy trying to get the right preparations to take on the task for what is essentially a must-win match.
"It’s been a good start," said Johnston, speaking to RTE football correspondent Tony O’Donoghue ahead of the game.
"On my debut I wanted to make an impact, and I felt like I did that. I’ve always just wanted to excite fans and get people off their seats, and that night, by the reaction, I think I did.
"I’ve been welcomed in [to the squad] with open arms and it’s been brilliant so far."
Far from brilliant, is how you would describe Johnston’s recent career as the one-time Celtic prospect missed out on the guts of two seasons through injury.
And while the Glasgow club still believe that Johnston has a future at Parkhead, he was sent out on loan to Portuguese side Vitoria Guimareas earlier this season.
"There's definitely a talented footballer there, but sometimes you just need a different environment to help that happen," said the then Celtic and now Tottenham manager, Ange Postecoglou.
And it has proved a very successful stint for the 24-year-old who, most importantly, stayed injury free for the season, while also helping his new club to European qualification.
"Portugal was a really big stepping stone," said Johnston. "It’s a big league and very tactical, and I learned so much all year.
"I played a lot of games and I managed to stay fit, and that was the most important thing for me.
"It’s not always been positive the last couple of years, but the last six months have been really positive and I’m just going to take that into these next two games."
With a clean bill of health, and working hard alongside the entire squad during the nine-day Turkish hot-weather camp, Johnston is putting his club future on hold to concentrate on the international double-header, where two wins could kick-start Ireland’s quest to qualify for next summer’s tournament.
"I’m not really looking too much into Celtic right now as I have two really important games for Ireland, so we’ll just take it from there," he said.
"This is the fittest I have felt. I had a tough couple of years, but I managed to get back on track and I’m just ready to go this year.
"It’s been a tough few days [in Turkey] to get us ready for this, and training in the heat has definitely helped everyone adapt."
Johnston is back loving his football this season and he also appears a perfect fit for the type of game that the current Ireland team are attempting to employ, maintaining possession, while playing front-foot, attacking football.
"We went toe to toe with them [France]; that’s what the manager wants us to do. He wants us to be brave and play football," said Johnston.
"Ireland teams in the past haven’t always gone out and expressed themselves, and I think that’s what the fans want to see now, and we are doing it. We are definitely trying to play and people are responding to it."
A young Celtic footballer coming out of Glasgow to represent the Republic of Ireland, combined with the fact that he plays his best football entertaining out on the wing; it is no wonder that the Aiden McGeady comparisons have been forthcoming.
And Johnston admits that he was a big fan of the former Ireland international growing up, and is happy to follow in his footsteps to wear the green.
"My mate is at Hibs with him, and just a few weeks ago, he has sent over a top and he has put 'all the best, Mikey’," said Johnston.
"It’s a McGeady 7 top, so I was buzzing to get that, as he was sort of my hero when I was younger.
"My mother’s side is in Derry and my father’s side is in Donegal. I have family all over Ireland and everyone is delighted to see me playing for Ireland.
"There were about ten people over for the Latvia game all there for my debut so they are really supportive with the decision I made, and I’m happy with the decision."
And as for Stephen Kenny, the Ireland manager is renowned for having a penchant for an entertaining winger throughout his managerial career, so it would appear that Johnston will get a lot of time in the green under the current regime.
"Mikey is different, he keeps people off the edge of their seats, and he has finished the season strong in Portugal, and it was an important year for him," said Kenny, speaking to RTE Sport earlier this week.
"He has gone on loan to Vitoria Guimaraes and they have qualified for Europe, and in the last six or seven games, he was an ever-present in the team
"He is very exciting and is a great character and he has come in and fitted in seamlessly within the group.
"Wingers excite the crowd and everyone who loves the game. It's getting rarer to find players like that but Mikey is certainly in that category."
Watch Greece v Republic of Ireland in the Euro 2024 qualifier on Friday night from 7pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on RTÉ.ie/Sport and the RTÉ News app or listen to live radio commentary with Game On on 2fm
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