Canada’s Alistair Johnston transfers to Celtic FC from CF Montreal

Defender Alistair Johnston, one in all Canada’s standout gamers on the 2022 World Cup, is headed to Scotland’s Glasgow Celtic.

CF Montreal confirmed the switch Saturday, saying it should take impact Jan. 1 — the beginning of the January switch window.

Celtic stated Johnston has signed a five-year contract and can meet up with the crew subsequent weekend when it returns from coaching camp in Portugal.

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While Celtic and Montreal didn’t element the switch value, Glasgow’s Daily Record reported the deal is value round three million kilos (C$4.97 million), with Johnston getting 10 per cent.

The 24-year-old defender/wingback from Aurora, Ont., made US$445,625 with Montreal final season, in accordance with the MLS Players Association.

Johnston was one in all six Canadians to play in all three Group F matches on the World Cup.

“When a club like Celtic comes calling, it will turn any footballer’s head, and especially for myself, growing up in a British household, Celtic was one of the clubs that is near and dear to our hearts,” Johnston instructed Celtic TV. “And for me, it’s one of many greatest golf equipment on the planet.

“Just to hear that this was a club that was interested in me, and to see the project the coaching staff have and the progress that this team and this club continues to make in Europe as well, it’s really exciting.”

Johnston famous he has “a ton of family” in Scotland and in Ireland.

“My dad’s a huge football fan, and my mum’s from Northern Ireland, so there’s tons of connections there, and that’s also what made it a perfect fit.”

Celtic at present tops the Scottish Premier League at 14-1-0. The storied membership, which counts rock star Rod Stewart amongst its supporters, has received the Scottish league title 52 instances in addition to 40 Scottish Cups, 20 League Cups and the European Cup.

Johnston has began a file 31 consecutive video games for Canada, erasing the file of 27 set by former Canada captain Bruce Wilson from 1984 to ’86. He has received 33 caps in all, with 29 begins.

Johnston’s senior debut coincided with Canada’s opening World Cup qualifying match towards Bermuda in March 2021. He received a second cap towards the Cayman Islands earlier than lacking out on a sport towards Aruba in June 2021.

He was again for a match with Suriname later that month and has not missed a sport since.

Montreal gave up US$1 million generally allocation cash in December 2021 to get Johnston from Nashville SC, who took him eleventh total within the 2020 MLS SuperDraft out of Wake Forest.

In 2022, he scored 4 targets for Montreal and added 5 assists in 33 MLS common season video games, together with 30 begins. He additionally began two playoff video games and performed in three CONCACAF Champions League matches and the Canadian Championship semifinal.

Johnston was named Montreal’s defensive participant of the 12 months.

“He’s an example of the way we want a player to evolve once he joins our team; with clear ideas, while giving everything for the team,” stated Olivier Renard, Montreal’s vice-president and chief sporting officer, in an announcement. “When an opportunity with a big club such as Celtic arises, we listen to our player.”

Johnston stated Montreal helped him “reach new levels that I didn’t even know I was capable of.”

Born in Vancouver, Johnston was 4 when the household moved to Montreal and 7 once they settled in Aurora. He was 16 when he made his debut within the Canadian youth program at an under-18 camp in 2015.

He spent his first two years of faculty at St. John’s, the place he began all 36 video games as a freshman and sophomore earlier than transferring to Wake Forest, which he captained in 2019.

Johnston arrived as a central midfielder however was shifted to proper again by Wake Forest coach Bobby Muuss.

“He’s a student of the game, he’s a soccer junkie,” Muuss (pronounced Muce) stated in January 2020. “He’s a guy that any coach would love to have in the locker room in terms of what he brings to your team in personality, work rate, professionalism, ambition ? What he did really for the long-term culture of this group is something I’ll be indebted to him for life.”

In two seasons with Nashville, Johnston performed 44 video games, together with 39 begins, with one objective and two assists.

Johnston performed membership soccer within the Toronto space at Vaughan SC.