Celtic defender Alistair Johnston reckons that Brendan Rodgers is the perfect manager for the club and believes even better days are ahead.
Johnston is enjoying a well-earned holiday after contributing to Celtic’s league and cup double triumph in the 2023/24 season.
The Canadian right-back was a massive part of Rodgers’ team across the campaign, starting 42 of the 50 games played by the Bhoys in all competitions.
It’s easy to forget it was the defender’s first full season in Celtic colours after being brought to the club by Ange Postecoglou in January 2023.
He’s won an impressive five trophies in that short spell. Johnston reckons that things could be about to pick up at Celtic too, much like in Postecoglou’s second season.
Alistair Johnston on Brendan Rodgers
The 25-year-old said [Herald Sport, 31/05 print edition, page 4]: “He is a serial winner. How he handles the press, how he handles his players, it’s something I have never seen before. He’s so personable. He just truly gets it. I think he really understands what it means to be a Celtic manager and I have enjoyed every moment playing for him.
“I have been lucky in my time here. I’ve had Ange and obviously now Brendan and they’ve both been really special in their own ways. I think you saw it in the first season under Ange. It was a bit stop-start and then in the second year, all of a sudden, it was flying.
“I have a feeling that is kind of the plan for us as well. Obviously, when you get a new manager, there is a bit of a bedding-in period and it takes time. Obviously, injuries didn’t help and things along those lines. But I think we are pretty excited with our group with where we can take this.
“It is going to come down to a really strong pre-season going into, hopefully, a really strong Champions League campaign in a new format, so that’s exciting as well. Of course, you want to be pushing on all fronts, so we are excited for that.”
Like some of his teammates, Johnston has a very busy summer ahead after his holiday. He has a massive Copa America tournament to look forward to where he’ll take on Lionel Messi’s Argentina, Peru and Chile.
Then there’s an exciting pre-season at Celtic with a tour of the United States. As Johnston says, that’s all in service of another tilt at a treble next year and the expanded Champions League format, with eight games in Europe now guaranteed.
With morale high, Rodgers has a chance to push this squad onto new heights and it seems the dressing room feels the same. Bring it on!