Alistair Johnston had a very successful season at Celtic and is now enjoying a productive summer with his national team, too.
The right-back was a pivotal part of Canada’s performance at the Copa America over the weekend, helping secure a 0-0 result against Chile that sent them through to the quarter-finals of the tournament.
Johnston is a proud Canadian and often speaks passionately about the national team. He puts every bit of effort possible into his international performances.
It doesn’t go unnoticed. He’s a popular member of the squad amongst his teammates and supporters. His combative style translates well to international football.
Former Canada manager and current Toronto FC boss John Herdman has summed up the reputation Johnston has in his homeland.
John Herdman on Celtic defender Alistair Johnston
He said [Daily Record]: “We always felt he was made for British football. The people who worked with him, including my defensive coach Jason de Vos, sensed that he was a hard-nosed, high-intensity defender. He loves a tackle, as well as getting forward to get a cross in at the other end.
“He’s a proper Scottish football type. And I’ve never seen Ali have a bad game for Canada. Certainly not in my time. Never. He never dropped below an eight out of 10. He was always there, always turned up. That’s just his mindset. It’s the habits that he’s built into his character.
“The only time he’s ever been out of sorts for us was the Nations League Final when he came with an injury from Celtic. He probably came back a bit too early to try and help us win a trophy.
“I remember he said to me: ‘I’m sorry gaffer’. But I told him he should never be sorry because the one thing he always put in was effort. He couldn’t quite deliver what he normally did at that moment. And even then, he was still a seven out of 10.”
Johnston has only made 62 appearances for Celtic but in that time has already won an incredible five trophies. He’s made a solid impact on the team’s right flank.
After being brought in by Ange Postecoglou, he’s continued to be an important member of the team under Brendan Rodgers.
That will be the case moving forward, too. Celtic aren’t thought to be recruiting at right-back this summer meaning Johnston will be first-choice again next term.
It’d be fantastic to see him return to Scotland full of confidence after his Copa America exploits but he’ll be hoping for an extended stay at the tournament after the upcoming quarter-final on Friday night. Doing so will only increase his reputation as one of Canada’s finest and most consistent performers.