Celtic defender Alistair Johnston is set for an exciting summer on the international stage as Canada continue their Copa America preparations.
Last Sunday, the 25-year-old was in action for his national side against France, enjoying a productive 62 minutes as Jesse Marsch’s outfit managed to secure an impressive 0-0 draw against the EURO 2024 contenders at Matmut Atlantique.
The pre-tournament fixture was Canada’s last opportunity to get minutes into their legs before facing Argentina on matchday one of the tournament next Friday.
Les Rouges are competing at Copa America for the first time following their historic qualification campaign. They will also face Mexico and Chile as they look to advance from Group A.
Now, Johnston has took to Instagram after helping to frustrate France, who are fancied by many to go on and claim glory in Germany.
Alistair Johnston’s class Instagram post following France draw
On the social media platform, Johnston uploaded a selection of pictures from the stalemate, including a brilliant picture of him shaking hands with France veteran Olivier Giroud, who is likely to spearhead their attack in Germany.
Accompanying the photos, he also added the caption ‘battle testing’ followed by a sword emoji, giving off the impression that the match was ideal preparation as Canada gear up to face some heavyweights at Copa America.
More than anything, Celtic players coming up against some of the best talent that football has to offer can only be viewed as a major positive.
Of course, they aren’t alien to that amid regularly being involved in the Champions League at Parkhead; however, there are so many lessons to learn during these encounters, most of which can be applied at club level.
Celtic supporters will be desperate for their heroes to return for pre-season; regardless, it is refreshing to see some of the Hoops’ finest assets thrive on the international scene, offering a much-needed football fix.