Alistair Johnston has been officially announced as a Celtic player. The Hoops are wasting no time in getting their deals done for January and when club football does resume, it looks like their new signings will already be settled into their new surroundings and accustomed to playing with their new teammates, from their time together in training.
This is a strategy that can serve them very well and it is clear to see the type of approach that they have taken. Not too long ago, Celtic had a reputation of dragging their heels when it came to transfer business but it is safe to say that Ange Postecoglou has brought an enormous amount of change in this department.
In fact, it looks like it was Postecoglou, who played a key part in convincing Johnston to switch to Celtic from CF Montreal.
As reported by Celtic’s official website, Johnston said:
"“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 makes sensational claim about Postecoglou after joining Celtic
Johnston represented Canada at the World Cup and while they did end up finishing bottom of their group, it was a very positive experience for their national team and they were much better than most people would have expected going into the tournament.
It also must be said that Johnston is a brilliant player and has done a great job in the MLS in recent years and been one of the best full-backs in the league.
So much so that he has become a key part of the Canadian national team picture, something that was not expected of him just a few years back. He is very good going forward and although he is not the best aerially, hopefully he will improve in that department as well.
The most promising thing about this move is the fact that Johnston and Postecoglou already seem to be on the same page. That should be a sign of great things to come.