Alistair Johnston didn't just become a 'superstar' overnight and Celtic fans can expect a player who follows Ange Postecoglou's 'never give up mantra'.
That is according to pundits in the defender's homeland who claim the Canadian World Cup star has worked his whole life to seal a move to a club like Celtic. Johnston, who was recruited for around £3m in a deal from CF Montreal, joins the Scottish champions on a five-year deal and will be tasked with pushing top stars Josip Juranovic and Anthony Ralston for places.
The 24-year-old couldn't hide his excitement when unveiled as the Hoops second signing of the winter window, and players like Jordan Wilson in Canada are hyping up his arrival for Celtic fans, telling them it will be a 'seamless marriage' when he pulls on the green and white jersey.
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He told One Soccer: "No disrespect to MLS but going to a club like Celtic that has been there for hundreds of years. A club like that has a winning, hard-nosed culture. For him, it's a seamless marriage.
"If you watch Alistair Johnston for 45 minutes - even if you haven't seen him before - you'll see a guy who gets stuck in to tackles, running back. He has like an extra battery pack, he never gives up. Now he's going to get week in and week out action, better training and competition.
"Young kids might be watching this and thinking 'oh, look at his rise, three years ago he was playing league one and now he's in the World Cup'. You have to understand with moves like this, it's not the case he had a good World Cup tournament and Celtic just decided to sign him. This is him being consistent for years now.
"Not taking any days off, constantly grinding. Even on a bad day, I've seen him not play his best matches and he still offers something. We want to get the story right, he didn't become a superstar overnight. Now his next move has paid off."
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