Alistair Johnston, born on 8 October 1998 (age 26) in Canada, is a dedicated defender who employs his football skills energetically as a right back for Celtic Football Club. Standing at 1.8m (5ft 10in) and weighing a solid 77kg (12st 1lb), Johnston can be typically seen gallantly donning the number 2 jersey. His talent isn’t limited to Scotland, as he has also had the distinction of representing the Canadian national team.
Currently, Johnston's market value is estimated to be around £7.5m, based on data from Transfermarkt. His commitment to Celtic is strong, with a contract standing until 30 June 2029, which leaves us fans looking forward to 4 more years and 7 more months of his performance on the field.
Before becoming a Green and White, Johnston began his professional football journey in February 2020 when he joined Nashville in the MLS draft, tallying up 18 first-team appearances in his debut season alone. Increasing in confidence, in 2021 he demonstrated even more tenacity, making 26 first-team appearances and nets his first league goal.
Proving his worth, in December 2021, Johnston transferred from Nashville to CF Montreal, also in the MLS, for an undisclosed fee. During his time at CF Montreal, Johnston played in 33 first team league matches and scored an impressive total of four goals.
In a move that delighted the Celtic fan base, Johnston transferred from CF Montreal to Celtic in Scotland for a fee of around £3m in January 2023. Johnston’s initial season at Celtic in 2022 - 2023 saw him make 14 first team appearances, with one finding the back of the net. He followed this up in the 2023 - 2024 season, with an increased tally of 32 first team appearances and another goal. The current 2024 - 2025 season has seen Johnston in impressive form, already clocking up 15 first-team appearances and scoring four goals.
As well as making his mark on the league, Johnston has also represented Celtic in various competitions, with participation in the Champions League 2023 - 2024 and 2024 - 2025, making six starts each time. Not forgetting his roots, he also represented Canada in the Copa America 2024, where he too started six times. And of course, his contribution has also been felt closer to home, with three starts in the Celtic League Cup 2024 - 2025. Thus ends the saga in the Alistair Johnston story so far, but with plenty more chapters yet to be inked.
