Rangers hero Ally McCoist has been discussing Celtic, and one player in particular. The Bhoys are less than a week away from the new season, and they are hoping to hit the ground running, especially after what they learned last season.
It was a difficult start to last season that set up Brendan Rodgers' departure, which came after a failure to qualify for the Champions League. The qualifying playoffs come just after the start of the season, and that makes it all the more important to get off on the right foot.
This summer's transfer business hasn't helped, nor will the exit of Daizen Maeda and the likely exit of Arne Engels. But Celtic will be able to count on a reliable figure in Alistair Johnston, who has bounced back from the long-term injury he suffered last season.
Johnston came back for the final run-in and went on to enjoy a very strong World Cup with Canada, standing out as one of their most reliable players. There has been talk of interest from the Premier League this summer, but Celtic have managed to keep hold of their sturdy full-back so far, and he is likely to play a huge part under Martin O'Neill.
McCoist on Johnston importance
Speaking on Open Goal, McCoist claimed Celtic missed Johnston last season, and he is right, of course.
“I thought the big miss for Celtic last season was Carter-Vickers and Johnston, definitely," said the former Scotland international.
“I actually met Alistair Johnston coming back up from London. He was struggling with injury and all that stuff; I think he was down getting an X-ray, MRI or whatever it was. Blethering away to him. He’s an impressive individual, and I thought, ‘Yeah, he could probably go again’.”
Interest in Johnston only seems to have been tentative so far, but should it ramp up, Celtic need to do all they can to keep hold of the full-back. The Bhoys are already losing plenty of talent this summer, and they cannot afford to lose such an important defensive player like Johnston.
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