Johnston, Alistair – The Celtic Wiki

Personal

Fullname: Alistair William Johsnton
aka: Alistair Johnston
Born: 8 October 1998
Birthplace: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Signed: 4 December 2022
Left: –
Position: Right-back, Defender
Debut: [..]
Squad No.: 2
Internationals: Canada
International Caps: [TBC at end of career]
International Goals: [TBC at end of career]

Biog

The Canadian born and raised Alistair Johnstone was a signing in progress to take over from the departing favourite Juranovic.

Ironically as reports of his potential transfer Celtic were ongoing, in the World Cup group games his Canada side had to face Croatia where his opposite number (Juranovic) was the man Johnston was lined up to potentially replace.

He duly signed and slotted in perfectly.

An average sized footballer, he always played with a smile on his face, and with a strong engine he was a player that could always be relied on. A decent tackler, he was comfortable on the ball which aligned with the Postecoglu philosophy to begin moves from the back. His strong Canadian accent shone out in interviews too.

Thrown into the deep end with Ralston out injured and Juranovic just returning from a World Cup semi final match, Johnston was the left-back for the Ne’er Day Derby at Ibrox match. He had a decent game to get him acquainted with the Scottish game, a match that effectively ended Sevco’s league title challenge.

From there on in he became the find of the season, and incredibly many were commenting that he was at least on par if not better than Juranovic! As Celtic stormed to domestic dominance, he was another bulwark in the defence, helping take pressure off of Carter Vickers. He even grabbed his first goal in a 5-1 win v St Mirren away in March 2023.

He may have only come in mid-season but he celebrated each title as much as anyone else.

Brendan Rodgers Era

[…]

Quotes

“Yep… it’s official. I’m going to need a new phone!”
Alistair Johnton (Dec 2022)

“When a club like Celtic come calling it will turn any footballer’s head.”
Alistair Johnston

‘I had a little chat with Josip after the game and he is a good lad ‘He brought the Celtic situation up a little bit to me, but that’s a conversation I can hopefully have with him in a little more detail in the future.’
Alistair Johnston on speaking to his Celtic predecessor (Juranovic) at the World Cup when Canada faced Croatia (Dec 2022)

“I thought he handled himself really well up against a really good player in Ryan Kent. There’s more to come from him obviously. Defensively he worked really hard for us and I think as the weeks go on, and he gets more adjusted to our play, the attacking side of his game will come through too.”
Postecoglu after Johnston’s debut in 2-2 v Sevco (Jan 2023)

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Playing Career

[Table to indicate clubs played for, including dates, transfers and fees where known [e.g. soccerbase table]]

APPEARANCES (subs)	LEAGUE	SCOTTISH CUP	LEAGUE CUP	EUROPE	TOTAL
2022-23
Goals

Goals

Goals

Goals
Total
Goals

Honours with Celtic

(Honours are marked below in which the player has played in at least one of the matches in the campaign.)

Scottish League

[…]

Scottish Cup

[…]

Scottish League Cup

[…]

Pictures

Player Pics

Forums

First Thread (Started Dec 2022)

Articles

Links

Twitter: @_a_johnston

Notes

Articles

Celtic have confirmed the signing of Canada’s World Cup star Alistair Johnston from MLS side CF Montreal.
Joel Sked
By Joel Sked

https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/celtic-sign-alistair-johnston-length-of-deal-when-he-will-arrive-biggest-clubs-in-the-world-3941052
The 24-year-old has signed a five-year deal and will join up with his new team-mates at the end of next week following his exploits in Qatar. He started all three of Canada’s games and impressed against Eden Hazard.

Ange Postecoglou admitted his delight at the signing, the second this month following Yuki Kobayashi, and revealed where he expects Johnston to play.

“I’m delighted,” he told the Celtic website. “He’s someone we identified pretty early on as somebody we think can add to our club. He’s had an interesting career path where he’s had to work very hard to get to where he is, and we’re very happy to conclude the deal and knowing he was going to the World Cup, I think he performed well there as well. He’s really keen to come across and take the next step in his career, and I think he’ll be a great fit in our dressing-room.

“He’s predominantly played on the right side of defence, at centre-back or right-back. He’s very good technically, very good going forward and also a really strong competitor and he doesn’t mind the physical aspects of the game, and as I said, I think he’ll add something to our club.”

Johnston, whose mum is from Northern Ireland, called the move a “perfect fit”, admitting it was a transfer which turned his head.

He told Celtic TV: “When a club like Celtic comes calling, it will turn any footballer’s head, and especially for myself, growing up in a British household, Celtic was one of the clubs that is near and dear to our hearts. And for me, it’s one of the biggest clubs in the world. Just to hear that this was a club that was interested in me, and to see the project the coaching staff have and the progress that this team and this club continues to make in Europe as well, it’s really exciting.

“Ange really was the one who sold me on it. You want to go somewhere that, not only do you feel that you’re a part of something and you feel that you’re wanted, but at the same time, it’s a good sporting fit as well.”

New Celtic signing ready to fight for his place after being likened to Cesar Azpilicueta

https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/new-celtic-signing-ready-to-fight-for-his-place-after-being-likened-to-cesar-azpilicueta-3951424
Alistair Johnston insisted he is ready to fight for his place at Celtic after meeting the teammate he has been tipped to replace during his World Cup exploits with Canada.

Matthew Elder
By Matthew Elder

The 24-year-old defender signed a five-year deal in joining from Montreal and is fresh from representing his country at the tournament in Qatar, where he played against Hoops full-back Josip Juranovic in a 4-1 defeat to Croatia.

Johnston’s arrival means Celtic now have three right-backs on the books, although Juranovic has been linked with a big-money move away from the club in January after some terrific performances in Qatar. Scotland defender Anthony Ralston is also standing in Johnston’s way, however, the new recruit stressed he is ready to challenge for a first-team spot – whether Juranovic stays or goes.

“I did actually talk to (Juranovic) after (the game) and said hello,” Johnston said. “He was really good about coming to find me after a big 4-1 win for them. He is a great player.

“Nothing is going to be given (at Celtic), everything will be earned. That is something all aspiring footballers want, an opportunity, and that is something the coaching staff has been very strong about, that we are trying to play a certain way and we want to bring in some young, talented players that have an edge to them.
“I fit that mould but the other two right-backs have that as well but I am here to fight for my place and hopefully earn some minutes.

“It is very attacking at Celtic. It is exactly how I like to play the game. It is a good fit for me. It is a match made in heaven for me, so it was a pretty easy decision.”

Johnston revealed Canada head coach John Herdman has likened him to Chelsea and Spain defender Cesar Azpilicueta.

“The ability to play in a back three, a back four, a back five, that flexibility that he brings, super-consistent,” he added.

“Definitely I have a lot of physicality to me. I just love to defend and that is something that everyone will see.

“For me, putting in a big tackle is just as good as getting on the end of a cross. That is what you will see from me. I live to defend.”

Johnston revealed he has been hit with an “outpouring of love” from Celtic fans since joining a club that he grew up watching on the other side of the pond.

“My dad’s side is English and Scottish and my mum was born in Northern Ireland. Growing up in a UK household, football was our main sport. We played some hockey in the winter which brought a bit of grit. You can’t not do that when living in Canada, you have to play some hockey.
“So my entire childhood was waking up watching the Premier League and Champions League and of course, seeing Celtic in some of those big nights.

“For me it’s always been one of those clubs I’ve been drawn to. I always looked at it like this, if there is a full slate of games on in the Champions League and Celtic are playing at home, I want to watch Celtic, it doesn’t matter who they are playing.

“It’s just to see the atmosphere because you can tell how much more it means to the fanbase and what those European nights are like.

“We have a couple of players with the national team and they said the league is a blast and Celtic are the cream of the crop. I’ve only heard glowing reviews and it’s cool to live out that childhood fantasy.”

Asked about his early days as a Celt, Johnston added: “It has been hectic. I tweeted about it a couple of times but it is no joke, the Celtic fans almost broke my phone, just the outpouring of love has been pretty crazy. That, doubled up with participating in a World Cup at the same time, it is a crazy time in my life. I am super-excited to get here.

“Everyone has been so warm and welcoming. Even just walking around the town centre people have been coming up and saying, ‘congratulations, you have signed for the biggest club in the world’. It has been a unique and special welcome.”

QatarCanada

What Alistair Johnston had to say about his Celtic debut against Rangers

https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/what-alistair-johnston-had-to-say-about-his-celtic-debut-against-rangers-3972585
Alistair Johnston reflected on the “unbelievable passion” of the Celtic fans and the drive and hunger of his team-mates after making his debut at Ibrox.
By Angus Wright

With Anthony Ralston injured and Josip Juranovic less than 100 per cent fit, the Canada international was thrust into his first appearance in one of the biggest matches of the cinch Premiership season. The 24-year-old helped Celtic to a 2-2 draw which keeps them nine points and 20 goals clear of Rangers at the top of the table.

“It’s the one that every single footballer dreams of,” he said on the club’s official website. “You want to go in and play the biggest matches, and there’s not really a bigger match than that in the entire world of football. That’s right up there with the atmosphere, the intensity, the passion from both fanbases – it was immense. And though it wasn’t the result we wanted in the end, we’re happy that we were able to get something out of it at the end and send our fans home with something to hold on to.

“I knew my family have been going a little too crazy if I let them know that I was starting, so I wanted them to wake up at 7am over there to check their phones and see me in the starting line-up and let them enjoy that moment and let me focus on the match. I think they’ll be pretty excited for me and obviously happy with seeing their son, seeing their brother out there. It was an unbelievable experience and once you get a little bit of that taste, you just want more so I can’t wait for the next match already.”

That match will come at Celtic Park on Saturday when Kilmarnock are the visitors. “Even just the 750, there was unbelievable noise, unbelievable passion,” he said. “You can just see what it means to them – every goal, every tackle – so to think about playing in front of 60,000 at Celtic Park is pretty cool. I’ve actually been able to experience a couple of them now, being up in the players’ lounge watching them, but to be out there, hopefully on the field or on the bench, it will be that next level that every player aspires to be a part of, and it will be a dream come true for myself.”

Celtic fought back to claim a point when Kyogo Furuhashi netted in the 88th minute and Johnston got an insight into the mentality of the team. “Even when we scored that second one, the older lads were saying, ‘we’ve got to push for another one’,” he said. “And as the younger players and newer players in the group coming through, when you see that drive and hunger to constantly pick up three points in every single match, and that drive to say it’s not over until it’s over, it just fills you with that confidence and that belief that anything is possible.”