Alistair Johnston

Should be a good signing.

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Excellent!

 

Welcome to Celtic.

 

Welcome

 

Lawwel pulls it out of the bag again

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Fantastic, I wonder if he will train for a week or so with the club (head back to Canada for chrimbo while he can) and then rejoin.

 

Brilliant

 

How’s he played in the World Cup?

 

Celtic are delighted to announce the signing of Alistair Johnston, who has joined the club on a five-year deal from MLS side, CF Montreal.

The 24-year-old Canadian internationalist, who recently played for Canada in their three World Cup group games at the tournament in Qatar, will meet up with his new team-mates at the end of next week.

After a season with Nashville SC, Alistair joined CF Montreal in December last year, making 39 appearances and scoring four goals. He has also been capped 33 times by Canada, scoring one goal.

Speaking of his latest signing, manager Ange Postecoglou said: “I’m delighted. 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, and he’ll definitely add something to our football as well.

“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.”

Everyone at Celtic welcomes Alistair to the club and wishes him every success at Celtic.

 

Alistair Johnston did not have to think twice about joining Celtic when the opportunity arose.

The Canadian internationalist, after representing his country at the World Cup in Qatar, is now heading to Paradise, having signed a five-year deal with the Scottish champions.

With plenty of Scottish and Irish family connections, over and above the number of Celtic supporters in Canada, he was already well aware of just how big a club Celtic are.

And having spoken with Ange Postecoglou, he knew that Paradise was the place he wanted to be. So it was the easiest of decisions to sign for the Scottish champions.

The 24-year-old defender will meet up with his new team-mates next weekend when they return from their training camp in Portugal, and he’s already looking forward to his new football challenge in Scotland.

Speaking exclusively to Celtic TV, Alistair Johnston said: “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. I think for every single footballer, you want it to be the perfect fit, and 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.


And based on what he said he’s looking to do with this squad and this club in the next couple of years, it felt like a perfect fit.

“He’s looking for young, driven players who want to take that next step and compete at the highest level, compete in the top stages of Europe and, for me, that was something which just called out to me and it felt right.

“From everything I’ve heard, he’s a top manager and his whole coaching staff have just got glowing reviews from everyone I’ve talked to, so that was another thing which was a big selling point for me on Celtic, and just absolutely made it a home run for me to make the move to Celtic Park.”

Johnston is naturally delighted at having signed for Celtic, and that has been replicated by his family, who are looking forward to seeing him pull on the green and white Hoops.

“I tell you this, I think they (parents) are already looking at real estate to potentially move back over there,” he said.

“We’ve got a ton of family in Scotland and in Ireland as well, so they’re already looking at that, and that’s the dream, to be over there and watch their son play week in, week out in the Scottish Premiership, so it’s been really exciting.

“My Dad’s a huge football fan, and my mum’s from Northern Ireland, so there’s tons of connections there, and that’s also what made it a perfect fit.”

 

Knew this was coming of course… but nice timing for the fans still gagging for league action..

Onwards!!!

(soon)

☘️

 

I used to look forward to the Jan window. This is like getting your Christmas presents on bonfire night.

And long may it * continue.

 

posties turned up n yer present wasn't ever wrapped

 

MONTREAL – CF Montréal announced on Saturday that Canadian full back Alistair Johnston has been transferred to Celtic FC, the reigning Scottish Premier League champions. The transfer will be effective as of January 1, 2023.

"I want to thank Alistair, the man, for his professionalism and his mentality in everything he has done with the Club, but also the player, who has brought us a lot on and off the pitch, for Montreal and the national team. He's an example of the way we want a player to evolve once he joins our team; with clear ideas, while giving everything for the team,” said Vice President and Chief Sporting Officer Olivier Renard. “When an opportunity with a big club such as Celtic arises, we listen to our player."

“Montreal welcomed me into its family from day one and helped me reach new levels that I didn’t even know I was capable of,” said Alistair Johnston. “I was lucky enough to come into a group with great leadership and talent, and most importantly great people. Although it was only one season together, it was an unforgettable one. It’s not just the records that we broke on the pitch that I’ll remember, but also the connection we built with the entire fanbase over that time. That passion was evident and made playing for this club in front of all of you so special. Thank you.”

Johnston, 24, was acquired from Nashville SC in December 2021, in exchange for $1M in General Allocation Money. In 2022, he scored four goals and added five assists in 33 MLS regular season games, including 30 starts and a total of 2,648 minutes of play. He also played all minutes in the two playoff games, 195 minutes in three Concacaf Champions League matches and the 90 minutes of the Canadian Championship semifinal. At the end of the year, Johnston was named the Club’s Defensive Player of the Year.

In two seasons with Nashville (2020-2021), the Vancouver native played 44 games, including 39 starts, and 3,510 minutes, tallying one goal and two assists.

With Canada at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Johnston played 90 minutes in all three games during the group stage. He has now played a total of 33 games with the senior team, scoring one goal and adding three assists during the qualifying route in Concacaf, where he consolidated his spot as starter in John Herdman’s lineup.

Based in Glasgow, Celtic FC is currently ranked first in the Scottish championship with 14 wins in 15 games.

 

Welcome to the club.

It does feel like we are a well run and organised club these days.

I'll probably moan that there is no excitement of scrambling around making last minute transfer deadline day signings.

 

The Lawwell effect.