There is plenty evidence to demonstrate just how impactful Alistair Johnston has been in a Celtic shirt.
But perhaps most telling is the fact no one really talks about Josip Juranovic all that much anymore. Johnston had a fiendishly difficult act to follow in replacing the Croatia international when an impressive World Cup campaign landed him a move to Union Berlin.
Johnston himself was in Qatar with Canada and knew he was taking over from a ‘special player’. But three winners’ medals from only 20 appearances suggests the 24-year-old right-back has done something right since arriving in Glasgow from CF Montreal.
And as he prepares for life under new manager Brendan Rodgers, Johnston feels ready to take his game to another level next season.
“It’s been a great fit for me,” he insisted. “No matter who was coming in, and Tony [Ralston] has done a great job at full-back, I like how I’ve played so far. But I think there’s another level to come with my game.
“I think Josip, when you look at what he’s doing at Union Berlin, he’s been unbelievable. He was a special player for Celtic.
“To even earn a move like that says it all about him.
“Look, I think there’s still levels to my game I haven’t shown yet and that’s kind of exciting for me.”
From the outside looking in, you’d think Johnston has strolled life in Scottish football so far, but he revealed it hasn’t all been plain sailing. He revealed former manager Ange Postecoglou predicted the first six months would be a real test as he adapted to the nverted full-back role which proved so effective during the now Tottenham boss’ time in the SPFL, but that Johnston would reap the benefits of a full pre-season this summer.
There could now be another adjustment period for Johnston as Rodgers implements his vision for a new-look Celtic, but Johnston feels settled and credits his coaches and colleagues for supporting him through that bedding in period.
“He [Postecoglou] told me the first six months would be difficult, a new system and a completely different way to play the position,” Johnston recalled. “But he felt once I got a pre-season under my belt I would be feeling a lot more comfortable. And I am feeling that.
“As well as people in the outside world think it’s gone, there have still been difficulties and struggles in the system. But I’m lucky, I’ve got a really got a good group of guys and coaching staff to help me.”
Fellow full-backs Ralston and Greg Taylor have been especially important in Johnston’s transition. He revealed the pair have ‘shown me the ropes’ despite it rarely having looked like the former Nashville SC defender needed much in the way of guidance.
Johnston believes he’s had it comparatively easy when he considers the significant adjustment which faced Celtic’s influx of Japanese stars. He points out that the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi, Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda and others were dropped into a completely different culture where they didn’t speak the language. Johnston, by contrast, admits he’s never once felt out of place in Scotland.
“Tony, Greg, all these guys, have shown me the ropes,” he said. “They’ve helped make the transition as easy as possible.
“Coming to a country where I don’t feel out of place also has helped. The year before they’d said the Japanese guys had come over in a similar situation, having played a full season and then coming to the SPFL it was difficult. They had to learn a whole new language and culture.
“But for me, growing up in a British household, speaks English, it really wasn’t that big a transition.”
