ROCK ON TOMMY
I’m an ex-Celtic player known for scoring one famous goal, people still stop me on the Tube to talk about it
He played under SIX different managers in just four years
TOMMY JOHNSON says his daughters were stunned when he got recognised by Celtic fans on the London Underground.
But it was his own tunnel vision he needed to become a title legend.
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The striker played under SIX different managers in just four years at the club, with his time in Scotland hampered badly by a series of injuries.
Johnson scored the vital goal against St Mirren that won the league in 2001.
And he knows that wouldn't have been possible had he given up on his Hoops dream when things were going against him.
The 53-year-old, back in Scotland for the annual John Hartson Golf Day, said: "I could have left a few times to be honest, but I didn't want to.
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"I don't know if that was because I didn't want to be classed as a failure or whatever. But I loved the place.
"When Celtic come in for you in the first place, you know what the lads are like and the history of the club and what it means to play for them.
"The four-and-a-half years were brilliant.
"I had managers who didn't play me, but I was involved all that season and was fortunate enough to play in the last few games before we won the league and managed to score the goal.
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"Everyone reminds me of that, they don't mention the injuries.
"Yeah, I should have played a lot more than I did, I totally get it.
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"But I wouldn't be at things like this if I didn't score that goal.
"It is daft. It is a special part of your life. Once you play for Celtic that is it, everyone remembers you.
"I think most players realise how big Celtic is. They are worldwide, known everywhere you go. Everywhere.
"You could be in the middle of the countryside in England, in the Lake District, and you will meet a fan. The United States, all over Europe.
"I was in London a couple of weeks ago seeing my daughters.
"I had just got out of the tube station and was walking to my daughter's house and a Celtic fan came up to me and said, 'Hiya Tommy! What are you doing here?'. They're everywhere!
"My girls know I played football and did all right. But they said, 'How do people still recognise you? You're all grey now!'."
Celtic face St Mirren on the final day of this season.
And Johnson hopes the Hoops have the same feeling he had 23 years ago when he ran out against the Buddies - IF it comes down to the last day.
The Geordie said: "We knew we were going to win it on the Saturday, no disrespect to St Mirren.
"It was live on Sky, it was sunny, all the families were there.
"We'd won against Dundee in the midweek. Big Johan Mjallby scored with about five or ten minutes to go. That was it, we knew on the Saturday we were going to win it. Not in a cocky or arrogant way.
"You are excited more than anything and I would imagine the current Celtic lads feel the same.
"Brendan will be instilling into them the fact that the job isn't done yet with the way the season has been - up and down, up and down. But they are three points ahead and that is where you want to be.
"Which camp would you rather be in? You want to be three points ahead.
"Get the Hearts game out the way and then they have Rangers at Parkhead."
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Johnson was signed from Aston Villa in March 1997 when he jumped at the chance of joining Celts.
He recalled: "I was at Villa and the manager, Brian Little, rang me up at home and said, 'I need to see you'.
"I thought, 'What have I done now? I haven't done anything gaffer!'.
"He lived about ten miles away from me and I went to see him and I will always remember it.
"It was a Thursday night and he said, 'Celtic have come in and we have accepted the bid'.
"We then sat and talked about it all night. At the end of the day, it was my decision.
"He offered me a new contract, but I said, 'No, I'll regret it if I don't go'.
"Obviously being from Newcastle I knew what the history was like and what it meant to the fans. It was just a couple of hours up the road.
"It was a difficult decision, but it was even more difficult when the man who signed me, Tommy Burns, got the sack three weeks later.
"I thought, 'What have I done?' But it worked out all right.
"Tommy came back with Kenny Dalglish and then when Martin O'Neill came in as gaffer the rest was history."
Johnson's goal against the Buddies was the highlight of his career.
He added: "When we played St Mirren and I scored the goal, I got cramp. I came off and thought, 'Don't anybody else score, please'.
"You just want to win the game and it didn't matter who scored, but deep down you are thinking that.
"It transpired that nobody else scored so it was all right. It is great to be remembered for that.
"But we had a great manager, great staff and great players. You can see it here. It is like we have never been away from each other.
"We are just reminiscing and having a laugh and a joke and all that.
"I saw Alan Thompson a couple of weeks ago, he is over in Belfast. Simon Donnelly has come down. It is great to see them all."
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*Tommy Johnson was speaking at the annual John Hartson Golf Day at Turnberry. The Hartson Foundation has raised awareness and made several donations to cancer charities all around Scotland for more than a decade.
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