When Aaron Hickey stumbled for Celtic

The full-back joined Hearts on a free transfer in the summer of 2018 after spending four years in the Glasgow academy system; he later disclosed that his move was motivated by a lack of playing time with the Hoops.
He was not sufficiently persuaded by Celtic’s coaches that this was the right club for him to advance and make his first-team debut.

That proved to be a mistake on the part of the Scottish powerhouse, as Hickey—whom Steven Naismith called “amazing”—went on to play 34 games in the first team for Hearts prior to joining Bologna in the 2020–21 season.

The Scotland international attracted interest from after scoring five goals in 48 games for Bologna.

🎂 A very Happy Birthday to Aaron Hickey! 🚀 pic.twitter.com/cUhtCW3goJ

— Heart of Midlothian FC (@JamTarts) June 10, 2024

The 22-year-old sensation has made 37 appearances for the Bees since moving to England, but he is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury that should keep him out until April 2025.

As of this writing, Transfermarkt’s market value is an astounding €28 million (£24 million), demonstrating his rise since leaving the Hoops for nothing back in 2018.

Despite his phenomenal form for the Bhoys, Transfermarkt lists Johnston’s value at €8.5m (£7m), so his value is even more impressive.

Despite being three years younger, Hickey’s net worth is substantially higher than Johnston’s, which implies that Celtic made a mistake when they couldn’t persuade him to stay in 2018 as a teenager because of how far his career has come.