Alistair Johnston on Celtic captain role and the game that ‘got ugly quick’

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Alistair Johnston wasted little time in endearing himself to the Celtic support.

The Canadian defender has been a fan favourite since he arrived last year and has been a consistent performer from the off.

Johnston is trusted by the fanbase to play at a strong level regularly and manager Brendan Rodgers also has confidence in the 26-year-old.

So it was a no-brainer that, when Callum McGregor was rested by Celtic for matches against Motherwell and Dundee, Johnston was handed the captain’s arm band.

Alistair Johnston says it is an honour to be Celtic’s vice captain

For the full-back it was a badge of honour and one he will never forget.

And he revealed the advice he was given before the game and his first pre-match Huddle.

“They gave me some good advice because they know how much I like to talk,” he told Times Colonist. “They just said, ‘Keep it short.’

“(It was) a massive honour, especially being Canadian. … It’s a very storied football club,” added Johnston, who scored in the 3-0 league win.

If Johnston is a Hoops fan-favourite, that means Rangers supporters won’t be too keen on the full-back.

And he knows that himself after receiving abuse on the streets.

“You learn that it’s not the same as playing for an MLS team,” said Johnston. “In Nashville and Montreal I could walk through the streets and not get any abuse.

“Over here, every single person knows who you are and they either love you or they hate you.

“(When I walk my dog at night) it’s normally under pretty heavy disguise.”

“The passion for the sport there, it’s second to none.

“It’s something I’ve learned, that I’m not going to be there forever so cherish it while you are there because it’s not normal — and it’s not normal to a lot of cities in the world and it’s not normal to a lot of players, no matter what club you play for.

“It’s definitely a unique experience but I’ve enjoyed it.”

Why Celtic’s Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund ‘got ugly quick’

Johnston has already enjoyed a good campaign with four goals and five assists in 17 outings.

Celts sit top of the Scottish Premiership with only Aberdeen on their tail and they are still among the chasing pack in the Champions League.

But it was in the Euro competition where the club suffered their worst defeat of the season against Borussia Dortmund. A 7-1 hammering in Germany was an evening to forget.

Johnston never will, of course. But he will learn.

“It got ugly pretty quick,” Johnston said of the Dortmund defeat. “And that just reminded us that we’re playing these top teams (and) if you’re not fully tuned in to how you’re going to defend, you can get punished pretty quickly.

“But I think we learned from that.”

Johnston is expected to sign a new Celtic contract some time in the near future to keep him tied down.

Manager Brendan Rodgers addressed Johnston’s deal and admitted he hopes to hold onto his star.