Tommy Johnson was the last signing of the Tommy Burns era, with the Celtic legend signing the former England under 21 man in a £2.3 million deal from Aston Villa in late March 1997…
Gateshead born Tommy had made his name with Notts county, Derby County, and Aston Villa, with whom he won the English league cup in 1986.
Tommy Johnston best as a ten
Tommy a centre forward, whose best position was in the number 10 role playing off the main striker, also had a keen eye for goal, with a decent return of 100 plus goals in his time down south proof of his striking prowess.
Signed by Tommy Burns after Pierre Van Hoojidonk was sold
His signing was seen as a decent capture by under pressure boss Tommy Burns, especially since the sale of the prolific Pierre Van Hoojidonk who had joined Nottingham Forest just a couple of weeks earlier.
Tommy was the polar opposite of the departing Van Hoojidonk. as at 5ft 10in he lacked the physical presence of the Dutchman, but he was his own man, and would be bringing his own style to the side.
Tommy Burns would be sacked before the end of the season, after yet another campaign devoid of silverware, and with Wim Jansen taking over, Tommy like the rest of his teammates was determined to impress the incoming Dutchman.
Tommy Johnson minor role in stopping their ten
Season 1997/98 was a important one for obvious reasons, but for Tommy it was a frustrating one as he played just two games, and was seemingly not rated by Jansen in a dramatic campaign that seen the Hoops end a decade long wait for the league title, thus stopping Rangers from claiming a record of ten consecutive titles in a row.
Tommy was also hampered by injuries. Earning the nickname ‘sick note’ and didn’t feature again in the hoops until May 1999. But made up for lost time by scoring three goals in two games in a campaign that ended trophy less under the guidance of Dr Jozef Venglos, who was then replaced by the inexperienced John Barnes.
Tommy didn’t feature much under new boss John Barnes, and spent a short spell on loan at Everton in late 1999.
Best form was under Kenny Dalglish’s guidance
Tommy hit his best form for the club under interim manager Kenny Dalglish in early 2000, after the Celtic legend who now held the title of director of football at Celtic park took over after the dismissal of John Barnes.
Tommy scored goals including a hat trick in a 6-2 mauling of Dundee at Celtic Park, and scored the second goal in a 2-0 win over Aberdeen at Hampden in the League Cup final as he won his first honour with the side.
Martin O’Neill arrived in the summer of 2000
Martin O’Neill arrived in the summer of 2000, and Tommy yet again had a new boss to impress.
With Henrik Larsson, and Chris Sutton occupying the centre forward positions, Tommy struggled for game time, although he did have the honour of scoring the winner against St Mirren at Celtic park in early April 2001, a strike that clinched the league championship.
Tommy after Celtic
That was good as it got for Tommy, and he was soon on the move as he headed back down south where he joined Sheffield Wednesday, but was soon back up north for a brief spell with Kilmarnock, before departing once more to England, as he enjoyed spells with the likes of Gillingham and Scunthorpe United.
Despite missing a chunk of his Celtic career through injury, Tommy Johnson boasted a decent record of 23 goals in 50 appearances, and was a popular figure amongst the Celtic supporters.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
HAVE YOUR SAY – Join the Celtic conversation in our comments section below…
Quick Tip – Add Celticshorts.com as your ‘Preferred Source’ on Google News for quick access to the Celtic content you value the most. It takes just a few seconds and you’ll notice the difference straight away! – Click HERE….Hail Hail!
