Johnston joins and hails Hoops ‘the perfect fit’
Celtic last night completed the signing of Canada World Cup defender Alistair Johnston.
The 24-year-old has joined on a fiveyear deal from CF Montreal, and will meet up with his new team-mates next weekend when they return from their training camp in Portugal.
Johnston played in all of Canada’s games in Qatar, but they headed home pointless after defeats to Belgium, Croatia and Morocco.
The full-back said: “When a club like Celtic comes calling, it will turn any footballer’s head. For me, it’s one of the biggest clubs in the world.
“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.
“Ange Postecoglou really was the one who sold me on it.
“For every single footballer, you want it to be the perfect fit.
“You want to go somewhere that, not only do you feel that you’re a part of something and you feel that you’re wanted, but at the same time, it’s a good sporting fit as well.
“And, based on what he said he’s looking to do with this squad and this club in the next couple of years, it felt like a perfect fit.
“He’s looking for young, driven players, who want to take that next step and compete at the highest level, compete in the top stages of Europe.
“That was something that just called out to me and it felt right.
“From everything I’ve heard, he’s a top manager and his whole coaching staff have just got glowing reviews from everyone I’ve talked to.
“So that was another thing that was a big selling point for me, and just absolutely made it a home run for me to make the move to Celtic Park.
“I think my parents are already looking at real estate to potentially move back.
“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.”