Alistair Johnston was signed by Celtic in early 2023 from CF Montreal to be the replacement of Josip Juranovic. Those were big shoes to fill. The Croatian right-back was coming off a stellar World Cup campaign which had seen him reach the semi-finals before being eliminated by Argentina, who would go to win it all with Lionel Messi showing the way.
Thus, most fans did not expect Johnston to come close to what Juranovic was delivering in a Celtic shirt. But a couple of years on and one could argue that the Canadian international has already surpassed it.
He has been a steady presence at the back and this season, he seems to have added a lot to his game going forward as well. If he can continue on like this, Johnston could be a stalwart on the right of Celtic's defence for years to come.
Johnston seems to be flying the Celtic flag back in his homeland as well. As reported by 67 Hail Hail, he told Canadian broadcaster OneSoccer:
"We have lofty expectations at Celtic, you know as well as everyone, it’s a massive brand, it’s a worldwide brand.
"To be able to do that on the European stage, especially with the past couple of results we have had, we have put ourselves in a really good position with this new Champions League format."
Alistair Johnston makes brilliant Celtic claim to Canadian media
Celtics are already one of the best-supported teams in the world. And the good thing is, there is further room for the club to grow its popularity.
Places like Canada could help in that. Football, or soccer, is still growing as a sport in that part of the world and not everybody has a favourite club. So, why not give Celtic a try and see the incredible things that the Hoops have to offer?
Of course, Celtic might not have the glitz and glamour of the Premier League or the ability to compete for the Champions League, but they have so much more to offer. It is a club open to all. And players like Johnston should help turn some from his homeland into fans.