Alistair Johnston insists Ange Postecoglou has already delivered on every promise he made when selling him on Celtic ahead of his move from Montreal six months ago.
Massive atmospheres that could satisfy his thirst for more having just featured at the World Cup for Canada, Champions League qualification, trophies .. it’s been a rip-roaring start to life in Glasgow.
And even though the 24-year-old wasn’t around in time to savour the Euro nights against Real Madrid and RB Leipzig he knows there’s a burning desire to improve on it next season. Recalling his first conversation with Postecoglou, Johnston said: “Yeah he told me ‘Once you get a taste of that World Cup and that kind of atmosphere, you’re going to want more of it. That’s something we can provide for you at Celtic, playing in front of 60,000 fans. It’s going to be super passionate.’
“He was right about that. It’s just something that you can’t get enough of. He also said that I was going to want to test myself at the next level, and that’s what it’s all about with the Champions League.
“Thankfully, we’ve taken care of business with the league and that automatically puts us into the Champions League for next season. That excites me and all of this group.
“I wasn’t here for it earlier this season but the guys feel like they should’ve done more. They’ve kind of got their feet wet in the competition and this group really understands it now.
“They feel they’ve had their first go at it with the manager’s system and now they want to go at it again — and really kind of show the world what we’re all about. Everything he said has been pretty much word for word.”
It’s no surprise then that the man who convinced him to move across the Atlantic is now wanted in a bigger pond himself with Spurs set to make their move for the Hoops boss. But Johnston said: “The manager keeps his cards close to his chest. That’s how he always is.
“He keeps us super focused on the task at hand and at the end of the day he’s got a cup final to prepare us for. He hasn’t let any of that talk get into the locker room. We’ve all heard the talk, obviously. But no one’s too bothered by it. No one’s making a big fuss about it.
“We have a massive match coming up and he’s been at the forefront of that, making sure our heads and minds are in the right place so that we go into the Cup final and take care of business.”
Meanwhile, Johnston has revealed how Victor Wanyama is still banging the drum for Celtic on the other side of the Atlantic. The former Parkhead hero, who won two titles under Neil Lennon a decade ago, was a team mate at Montreal and moved into Johnston’s apartment when the right back headed across the Atlantic.
And the right back said: “I hear from him all the time. He’s texting me all the time and asking me things like ‘How do you turn on the washer, the dryer?’
“I’m trying to get him out to a match whenever Montreal’s season finishes. He’s a legend, he’s one of the ones who got me here and from what I’ve been told the fans still hold him in a high regard, which is nice.
“He’s a great guy, a great human being and he represents this football club like no other. He can bang the Celtic drum no matter where he is — and he has done all across the world.
“I think he’d been a great ambassador to come back and get that love again from the fans.
“I’ve been harping on at him, saying he’s got to get himself back here. He’s been following all the matches with his Celtic TV account. He tells me we’ve been playing really good football and he’s been impressed.”
