Celtic defender Alistair Johnston has opened up about his development at the Scottish champions, crediting current manager Brendan Rodgers with taking his game to another level since arriving at Parkhead.
The Canadian international, who signed from CF Montreal in January 2023 under previous boss Ange Postecoglou, has established himself as a key figure in the Celtic backline.
While Johnston initially adapted well to Postecoglou's system, he believes Rodgers has helped him realise his full potential.
The 26-year-old right-back explained how the Northern Irish coach's tactical approach has expanded his role beyond being merely a defensive specialist.
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“Obviously I came in under Ange, I was brought in to invert [full-back] and I kind of hit the ground running a little bit," Johnston said while promoting the club’s player of the year awards.
“But I was still kind of starry-eyed a little bit, just trying to find my place and when he [Rodgers] came in, he kind of really unlocked me in terms of he wanted me to be that full-back that bombed up and down and not only was I a shutdown kind of defender, but I also got up the park and it was constantly overlapping.
“He saw that I had the ability to do that, and he kind of really unlocked that, between him and John Kennedy [Celtic assistant] they’ve really kind of fine-tuned my game and brought me into probably my finest form that I’ve ever been in, that was probably at the start of the season.
“He’s been great for me, there’s no doubt about that, and I’ve really enjoyed playing under him and hopefully that’ll continue for a long, long time.”
Celtic are on course to win a domestic treble this season having already secured the Scottish League Cup in December, and they can officially be crowned Scottish Premiership champions for a fourth year running should they avoid defeat against Dundee United next weekend. Plus, there's also the small matter of a Scottish Cup semi final against St Johnstone to come this Sunday.
