Celtic star due late for pre-season reacts to playing ‘over 100 games’ in two years

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The preparations for the new Premiership season are underway.

Not only have the majority of Celtic players returned to pre-season, but four new faces have been added to Brendan Rodgers’ squad from the previous campaign.

That’s crazy to think when certain players have yet to conclude their 2024/25 campaign, or have just brought it to an end.

That’s because the Club World Cup in America, the Gold Cup, the U21 and U19 European Championships have been taking place this summer.

Celtic have a representative who is still going, and that’s Luis Palma, as Honduras reached the semi-finals of the Gold Cup, but Alistair Johnston’s Canada bowed out recently.

• READ MORE: Celtic star told his nation is ‘lucky’ to have him and he’ll be ‘one of the faces’ of 2026 World Cup

Alistair Johnston on playing ‘over 100 games’ in two years after Canada are knocked out of the Gold Cup

Johnston played the whole game as Guatemala pulled off a shock result to beat Jesse Marsch’s Canada on penalties – Celtic’s starting right-back opted not to take a penalty despite seven men stepping up.

The 26-year-old admitted after the match that he was ‘frustrated’, and things weren’t helped by the fact that his team were down to ten men for half of the match.

Speaking to OneSoccer, Johnston was also asked about playing ‘over 100 games’ for club and country over the last two seasons, and how that ‘takes its toll’.

“Obviously, frustrated,” shared Johnston on Canada getting knocked out of the Gold Cup. “It’s the first word that comes to mind. It’s difficult when you are down to ten men.

“A lot of us were struggling physically by the end of it. They get their one goal, and it goes straight to PKs, which, when you are down to ten men, isn’t the worst thing, but when it comes to PKs, you need a bit of luck.”

Johnston is asked: ‘Can I ask you about the physical toll on the match because we know you have played over 100 games in two years. You were touching your hamstring there at the end – how physically demanding was it playing with ten men in the second half?”

Johnston responded: “It’s little things that you probably don’t see. Maybe the total distances and anything crazy, but it is the constant working and cutting in and out of things. It takes its toll.

“There is a totality of matches and minutes on everyone’s bodies, but I don’t think that changes anything.”

How many games has Johnston played in the last two seasons for Celtic and Canada?

Things aren’t going to get any easier for Johnston because he will now return late for pre-season, and that means having to play catch-up.

Given that UEFA have also revamped their format, more matches are also being played on that stage, on top of being a non-stop regular for Celtic at right-back, going deep into the cup competitions, playing in Copa Americas, and Concacaf Nations Leagues.

Then you have the small matter of the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by Canada next summer, so all of this is just going to continue to pile up on Johnston and his workload.

• Games in the last two seasons for Johnston: 111