Alistair Johnston

Such an Ange signing.

 

After seeing him at the World Cup, I thought he'd be * tbh. Shows you how little one game tells you about a player. Real class act. Poor Ralston must be biling.

 

Never saw him in the training footage from today

 

Joe Hart has praised Celtic’s recruitment team for identifying and bringing Canadian international Alistair Johnston to the club.

Johnston has only been at the Bhoys for a matter of weeks after making the switch to Glasgow from CF Montreal immediately after the World Cup.



But the Celtic goalkeeper already likes what he sees after a period of settling into training and two appearances for the right-back.




As quoted by The Scottish Mail on Sunday [15/01 print edition, page 113], he said this weekend: “Ally is a bubbly, confident guy. You have to give great credit to the recruitment at Celtic.

“They have picked a player who was ready to come into our system and our way of playing and he has embraced it.




He had a nice two or three weeks with us when there wasn’t the pressure or stress of worrying whether he would be in the team or the squad.”

 

Was he injured at weekend?

 

He was on the bench. Not reported as having any issues.

 

Think he had an injury earlier in the week

 

Made a good start at the club but was the right thing to do to hand Juranovic his spot back for the semi-final.

Still think he'll leave before the end of the transfer window but if he doesn't, that's brilliant competition we have in the right-back position at the moment.

 

It’s the same in most countries and leagues that when a player signs from a different nation there tends to be a grace period for the person to adapt to their new culture.

When Alistair Johnston joined from the Canadian side, CF Montreal it would have been expected that the right-back would also have to take time to settle in and get used to his new country and team-mates.

Yet in the short space of time that he’s been at the club, the 24-year-old has settled in with such ease that’s been able to contribute on the pitch from the moment his registration allowed in the Glasgow derby in the first game of 2023.

Speaking to Celtic TV for the St Mirren matchday show this evening - which is live inside the UK and Ireland on pay-per-view - Johnston opened up about his first month as a Hoops player.

He said: “It’s been unbelievably easy. Coming in during January can be difficult for players and I was told to try and find my feet, get through the first couple of months and get settled and then we will see from there.

'But the guys have been super welcoming, the whole coaching staff, and the entire city have been as well.'

“Half the city may not be as welcoming as the other half, but it’s been really good and I feel at home.

“The weather hasn’t been too bad and it’s better than what I’m used to in January so I’ve really enjoyed it and I feel part of the squad and to be able to play has made it all worth it.

“I’ve really been enjoying it and it’s been a pretty smooth transition so far.

'When I was linked to this club it was unbelievable and I couldn’t believe a club of this magnitude would even be looking at me, just a young Canadian boy'

“I haven’t been one that’s taken it for granted since I’ve come in and every day is focusing on how I can get better and showing this staff and everyone in the team that they can trust me on the field.”

Johnston will be hoping to make an impact in tonight’s league match with St Mirren at Celtic Park, a tricky opponent who have been the only side to defeat the Hoops domestically in this campaign.

The Canada international was not here for that fixture but he believes there will be no thoughts of that last tie in any of the player’s minds when they step out to a packed Paradise.

He said: “I wasn’t here for it but we all know that’s the one we’ve dropped points in so that’s frustrating for the group.

“We look at it as another match, we don’t worry about the history with them, it’s just another chance to go out and play in front of our crowd and show how we want to play.

“We feel like if we do that and we impose ourselves on whoever it is, especially when they come to Celtic Park, that things will go our way.

“We just need to keep ticking along and we’re really happy with where we’re at right now, some of our performances haven’t been the best I don’t think, but at the same time we’re finding ways to win which is what good teams do.”

 

What a guy. Hope he starts.

 

Really like him. He'll get better with games going forward but a good defender. Vocal...and strong.

 

Bit negative going forward. Hopefully will adapt to the system soon

 

He’s a very intelligent player, just keeps it simple and always in the right position. He’ll only get better as well.

 

He sounds way too much reflected for a footballer

Good chap!

 

Noticed that tonight. He has been more positive in other games so might have been asked not to play so much into forward and inverted positions.

 

Still lacking confidence going forward but I think that'll come. Excellent defensively.

 

Really good..

Just the final ball/cross letting him down but everything else is spot on..