The current Toronto FC boss, John Herdman has given his thoughts on Alistair Johnston’s impressive commitment and form, and outlines what type of reputation the Canadian has on the other side of the Atlantic.
Alistair Johnston has enjoyed a very successful season with Celtic. He most certainly played his part helping the Bhoys secure the League title, as well as the Scottish Cup in the final game of the season. Currently, Johnston is back over the Atlantic playing for his National side, Canada in the Copa America. In fact, Alistair helped Canada to a draw against Chile earlier today, which saw them go through to the quarter finals of the competition.
Herdman’s view on Alistair Johnston
In any case, the former Canadian manager, and current Toronto FC manager, John Herdman has commented on the type of player Johnston is, and details how highly held he is by fans in his homeland. As reported by the Daily Record, Herdman said…
“We always felt he was made for British football. The people who worked with him, including my defensive coach Jason de Vos, sensed that he was a hard-nosed, high-intensity defender. He loves a tackle, as well as getting forward to get a cross in at the other end.
Proper Scottish football type
“He’s a proper Scottish football type. And I’ve never seen Ali have a bad game for Canada. Certainly not in my time. Never. He never dropped below an eight out of 10. He was always there, always turned up. That’s just his mindset. It’s the habits that he’s built into his character.
“The only time he’s ever been out of sorts for us was the Nations League Final when he came with an injury from Celtic. He probably came back a bit too early to try and help us win a trophy.
‘I’m sorry gaffer’
“I remember he said to me: ‘I’m sorry gaffer’. But I told him he should never be sorry because the one thing he always put in was effort. He couldn’t quite deliver what he normally did at that moment. And even then, he was still a seven out of 10.”
After being brought to Celtic by former boss, Ange Postecoglou in late 2022, the Canadian international has made 62 appearances for the Hoops. Incredibly however, he has managed to help the Bhoys to win five trophies in that time. There is no doubt that Johnston has had a positive impact upon the Celtic squad during his time in Glasgow’s east end.
