Scotland’s next big thing has a Dutch of class
Steven Gerrard taught him that winning is everything and now he is being schooled by Jaap Stam... so can George Johnston be the centre-half the national team has been crying out for?
STEVEN GERRARD drove the winning mentality deep into his core. Jaap Stam is now in charge of harnessing that fire and shaping him into Scotland’s next big thing at centre-half. Be sure that George Johnston, who will announce himself on these shores with Scot Gemmill’s Under-21s next week, is learning from the best. And when it comes to making himself the kind of defensive rock a nation can build itself upon, he understands he must begin by being a sponge.
After 11 years inside the Liverpool academy system and on the fringes of the first team, the Manchester-born 20-year-old took a real jump into the unknown this summer when signing for Dutch club Feyenoord on the recommendation of former Anfield striker Dirk Kuyt.
For Johnston, it is a chance to broaden his horizons, widen his footballing education and build on what he describes as the physical attributes of a typical British centre-half in a league renowned for tactical complexity and technical excellence.
That he has Stam, such a towering defensive presence in Sir Alex Ferguson’s iconic Champions Leaguewinning side of 1999, as his coach is just another benefit. Another member of footballing royalty to be guided by.
Gerrard once filled that role. And Johnston reflects upon his short time working under the current Rangers boss as a crash course in grasping what the high-octane environment of toplevel football entails and what you have to do to survive there.
Gerrard was given responsibility of Liverpool’s Under-18 side in the UEFA Youth League shortly after returning to Melwood as a coach in 2017. What unfolded was a thrilling run to the quarter-finals, losing to Manchester City on penalties, which afforded Johnston a close-up view of a singular character with little interest in the standard of performance if it didn’t bring the desired result. ‘When Stevie came in to look after the Under-18s at Liverpool, I had just moved up to the age group above, so the UEFA Youth League was the only tournament we were together for,’ recalled Johnston, eligible for Scotland through his Dumfries-raised grandfather Eddie. ‘I’d been at Liverpool all my life. He was obviously an iconic figure around the club and was quite intense and demanding. ‘He just wanted to win those games. He wasn’t necessarily too bothered about how we got there, just as long as we won. ‘It was more about getting to the next round than the performances and that winning mentality he drove into us definitely left a lasting effect on me as a player. ‘He put demands on you. He made those youth games feel similar to what you’d face in a first-team environment. ‘I wasn’t around the first team at that point as it was a few years ago, but that is what I had imagined that level to be like — a very demanding, results-driven business. He drilled that into us.
‘If he felt you weren’t putting a shift in for the team, he would definitely let you know at half-time. He wasn’t afraid of making early changes.
‘Because of the background he had, the type of player he was, you just knew you had to deliver and I think that is why we had a decent run in that tournament.
‘It was surprising for everyone when he chose Rangers, but we always kind of knew that working in the academy at Liverpool was going to be a stepping stone for him.
‘Both Stevie and Jaap Stam played at the very highest level and won major tournaments, so working underneath both of them is only going to be positive for me.’
Stam has made it clear Johnston is at Feyenoord to be a first-team player, so the target must be to come up against Gerrard and Co on Europa League duty.
The former Liverpool Under23 captain has been on the bench for their three league fixtures so far and is still coming to terms with sharing a dugout with a man whose style he both admires and tries to copy.
Johnston is determined to break into the team under the 67-times capped Holland legend this term and is not shy to admit he wants to use that as a platform into Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad, too.
‘The boss was a no-nonsense, typical British-style defender, really,’ said Johnston. ‘He was what I try to base some of my game around — being tough, being strong and hard to play against. I grew up being taught not to be beaten at any cost and that is my strongest element.
‘However, it is a simple fact that the modern central defender has to be able to build from the back and it is a matter of incorporating that into my game.
‘I just feel Feyenoord is a good platform for me. In the games I’ve been involved in, I have noticed that neither team really plays long balls, the way you might see at home. The ball is on the ground for the majority of the game.
‘I definitely want to be getting minutes for the first team this season. It is just a matter of taking my chance. Being involved at international level is massive as well and I am definitely looking at getting into the full national team.
‘I’d been playing with Liverpool’s Under-23s and saw myself as one of the senior figures in that squad. Coming to Feyenoord and being around the first team, I feel like one of the younger ones again and it is kind of like a fresh start.’
As part of that fresh start comes the small matter of introducing himself to the Scottish public. Johnston’s two caps for the Under21s came against Mexico and Sweden in friendlies in Marbella back in March. His one Under-19s call-up came for a game against Turkey in Murcia last November.
As a result, he understands he is an unknown quantity and hopes to make a positive impression in Thursday’s Euro qualifier against San Marino in Paisley before heading to Croatia.
‘My grandad grew up in Scotland in Dumfries and had a job driving cars down south, so he moved to Manchester and met my grandmother,’ explained Johnston. ‘I was born and brought up there, but have fond memories of family holidays to Loch Ness as a kid.
‘My grandad lives in Spain now and my first call-up last November saw me playing not too far from his house. Unfortunately, he was going back to England at the time and couldn’t change his plans.
‘He definitely put Scotland into me and I can tell you that I feel those emotions when I put the shirt on and take the pitch. I am fighting for my team and my country.
‘I accept not many people, especially the fans, know much about me. I obviously have stuff to prove and I want to show what I can do.’