The inside track on Mikey Johnston's transfer to West Brom and how he left it at Celtic
Mikey Johnston knew his time at Celtic was up when he didn't get on the pitch at any stage during their opening day thrashing of Kilmarnock at Parkhead - and in that moment his departure and return to England, and to West Bromwich Albion, accelerated.
Johnston lit up The Hawthorns on many occasions during his loan spell in the second half of last season; his seven goals included one 30 seconds into his full debut against Cardiff City and a pearler against Coventry City, let alone the strikes at Queens Park Rangers and Plymouth and the brace at Huddersfield Town.
Financially, it understandably didn't look likely on the surface as though a return this summer was feasible. Winger Johnston knew, as he sat on the bench and watched on as Brendan Rodgers' side tore through Killie last month, despite having been prominent in pre-season, that he'd have to move on and leave his boyhood club for the sake of his career.
"I think it was obvious to be honest," he admitted. "I did well in pre-season and then the first game came, and I didn't play a minute. I thought the writing was on the wall. I don't think much has to be said after that. At that point it was about finding my options and try and go and make big career. I feel like I have a chance to make a big career for myself, that's what I want to do."
Albion, for much of the summer, simply weren't in a position to even entertain the idea of sanctioning Johnston's return, even though it was abundantly clear that Carlos Corberan remained a keen admirer and had been in contact with Johnston. It was a balancing act; clearly, because of the winger's exploits last season, Albion wouldn't be the only contender.
Sheffield United and Burnley, with bigger budgets and parachute payments, came sniffing. Indeed more than that, even in late August Johnston knew there was a real possibility that Bramall Lane would be his new home but, as he said himself: he held out for as long as possible as he wanted to give Albion every chance.
Things changed as August progressed. Albion banked a few quid from Dara O'Shea leaving, ironically, Burnley. The hard work they'd put in throughout the summer had left them in a position where they could throw their hat in the ring and look to satisfy Corberan by claiming his desired asset. For Albion to enter the running was all Johnston needed.
"I thought it was kind of an outside chance, to be honest. You hear all things about FFP or whatever, I don't know the ins and outs, it was the summer and I knew I was probably leaving Celtic," he explained. "With the options I had it was going to go on until the last day, Celtic were wanting to make sure it was round about the end that I left and that gave West Brom every chance to come in and match other offers that were in.
"When they did that and the options were in the same league I thought 'there was no way I could not go back to West Brom'. We were in contact, me and the gaffer, but at first he didn't think it would be possible either, with the FFP rules, they couldn't spend. I think from Dara the club managed to get the money. It was quite late, genuinely, I tried to give West Brom every chance so it was possible to come back, that's why it happened so late.
"I didn't think it was going to be in the Championship at first, I thought it was going to be somewhere else. When it came down to the teams in the Championship, and West Brom were an option, then I'd definitely be coming to West Brom."
Corberan and Johnston discussed what the future held as early as last May, on the team coach back to the West Midlands from Southampton after the play-off disappointment at St Mary's. If it hadn't already been apparent to Johnston, it was made clear in that moment just how much Corberan had valued his impact and his qualities, and how he'd try to bring him back if it were at all possible.
"He called me to the front of the bus and said if there was anything they could do to bring me back then they would do and straight away," Johnston revealed. "It makes you feel wanted and that's all a player ever really wants, to be honest. [The £3m price tag] shows the manager wants me and what the manager says was true - he was going to do whatever he could to bring me back and thankfully I'm back here."
Johnston can't wait to get back playing again, beginning with the trip to Portsmouth on Sunday week. Working under Corberan on a regular basis, and with no fixed end to his stay with the club, as there was in the summer, is a prospect which excites him as he looks to continue honing his abilities.
"Ultimately he's the one who is going to make me a better player and he just has so much knowledge and so much stuff you can learn from," Johnston concluded. "Obviously the fans were big on me coming back and my friends as well down here. There were genuinely so many reasons.
"His passion is there every single day, you see it, I think he's one of the best managers I've had in terms of he's just very good tactically. At Celtic it's been different. I've played against a low block every single week for the last 18 years! Everyone just sits off you.
"It'll good to go and learn different styles of football, maybe in games away from home you're not going to have the ball. There's a lot you learn from things like that and we learn a lot from the TV behind us, tactical stuff. I've learned so much in four months so four more years how much am I going to learn?"
For Albion, that's a thrilling prospect - less so for Championship full-backs.