Celtic left-back Greg Taylor has praised teammate Alistair Johnston for how well he’s adapted to a new role at Celtic Park.
The 24-year-old signed for the Hoops in December, joining from MLS side Montreal Impact for a reported £3 million.
Johnston, who played in all three of Canada’s 2022 World Cup games, penned a five-year deal with Celtic.
It hasn’t taken the full-back long to get used to life at Parkhead. He has already made six appearances and looks like a really solid addition to the squad.
Taylor, as quoted by BBC Sport, was eager to praise how Johnston has adapted to the inverted full-back role.
“The manager touched on it that it took myself, Jura (Josip Juranovic), and Tony (Ralston) a bit of time to grasp the system, and we had good days and bad days at it,” he said.
“Ally’s an international player and he’s got a great attitude. He has done really well.”
The Bhoys left-back also praised Celtic’s new signings to The Scottish Daily Mail [03/02 print edition, page 74], stating: “Tommo (Iwata) and Ally (Johnston) have settled in straight away – Yuki (Kobayashi) as well – they have all contributed at an early stage. I’m sure that will continue as the season goes on.
“They will be major contributors as the season goes on. When (Hyeongyu) Oh came on against Livingston, he was a handful. He’s young and eager and he’s going to bring something to the party.”
Johnston ticks all the boxes to become a Celtic fan favourite
So far, so good for Ally. The Canadian has hit the ground running at Celtic, quickly becoming a fan favourite thanks to his combative displays.
Johnston has also been earning praise from fans for his personality and attitude.
His interview last month where he spoke of enjoying the opportunity of “smashing” opponents went down a treat.
And his most recent media piece – where he spoke about his teammates using SPFL Match Attax cards – showed he already seems to know his teammates well.
A great guy off the pitch, a quality player on it, and a menace for the opposition – Johnston certainly ticks all the boxes to become a cult hero at Paradise.
In other news, Joe Hart shares the Ange Postecoglou message that is ‘music to the ears’ of new Celtic signings.
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