Former Canada assistant boss Steven Caldwell has backed latest Celtic recruit, Alistair Johnston, to become a fans favourite at Parkhead.
But he also thinks that the defender may need some time to adjust to the culture shock of playing for the Hoops.
Johnston became Ange Postecoglou’s second piece of transfer business ahead of the January transfer window opening next month.
Supporters have been given a small glimpse into the sort of player the Canadian international is whilst featuring for his nation at the World Cup in Qatar.
However, one man who knows about the quality Johnston can bring is former Canada assistant coach Steven Caldwell.
The former Newcastle and Wigan defender grew up a boyhood Hoops fan and watched his brother Gary play for the club. So he has some experience of the pressures the club can bring.
Speaking in a recent interview, Caldwell has backed Johnston to become a fans favourite at Celtic Park as he provided some insight into him as a player.
Although the former Scotland international thinks it may take some time to react to the culture shock that can come at Celtic, he believes the defender has shown he has the quality to raise his game.
He said [Sportsmail]: “Alistair is a brilliant boy. He has a great attitude, and he wants to learn and improve. But he’ll get a shock because he has not competed like that before in a league like Scotland.
“I think he’ll be fine in Scotland, I think he will compete. He is a hardy guy, he will get stuck in, and he can play right centre-back in a three or right-back.
“He is a box-to-box guy, a good crosser, and if he gets that right consistently, I think he could be a real player for Celtic.
“What he has to show is that he is capable of handling the culture shock.
“I don’t know personally, but I have a decent reference point in my brother Gary, and in Glasgow, it’s every game, every week, dealing with that pressure on you be the best.
“I think that comes as a shock to everybody, and it’s like: “Can you handle that”? We’ve all seen guys at Celtic and Rangers who are top players who don’t do well.
“Could Alistair become a fan favourite? I think he could because he is a game boy, he is a good talker, he will get into the spirit of playing for Celtic.
“The question is: “Does he have the quality and the ability to raise his game to the level required”? I think he has shown by going to the World Cup and playing well that he can.”
He continued: “This lad was playing in a semi-pro league in Ontario four years ago. He was going to school then got drafted by Nashville, and people were thinking: “He’s not bad”.
“All of a sudden, he became a pretty consistent right-back and moved to Montreal. He took these steps quickly, and he handled every level.
“I think he has actually played 32 games in a row for the Canada national team now. So that is a testament to his consistency.
“Is he capable of being a nine out of ten players? Time will tell. But he’s solid, he is steady, you know what you are going to get with him, and he has got better and better.
“If he can adapt to the pressures of the next level up that he is going to face, then I think he can be a really good full-back who can have a long successful time at Celtic.”
Johnston set for settling in period, which will be ideal for Celtic adjustment.
Of course, arriving at a club like Celtic can be a big jump for any player, with the expectations that come at Parkhead. Every week there is a demand to win, and trophies are a must every season.
So Caldwell is right to point out that it may take some time for Johnston to adjust to life in Glasgow, and I am sure Ange Postecoglou will be well aware of that.
Having arrived before the January window is even open, Johnston will have a short period to start adjusting before he even needs to think about playing for the club.
In the next month or so, he has time to settle in and develop his relationships with his teammates before he can play for the Hoops on the 1st of January.
Caldwell is full of praise for the character that Johnston is, off and on the pitch. So, he should fit in well to life in Ange Postecoglou’s squad.
In other news, Former Celtic hero makes international retirement u-turn.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
