One thing you can’t argue is that Celtic’s recruitment has been outstanding for a very long time now.
Whether it’s Ange Postecoglou in the dugout or Brendan Rodgers (both spells), the outgoings and the incomings have flowed pretty nicely.
There have been many occasions, such as Matt O’Riley leaving Celtic for Brighton this summer, where the club and the fans don’t want to let him go.
But, at the end of the day, given where the Scottish champions stand, in terms of financial power in European football, then some fees just have to be accepted and Celtic have to move on.
You sense that’s what happened when the Bhoys parted ways with fan favourite Josip Juranovic during the winter transfer window of 2023.
A £10 million fee was accepted for the 29-year-old to join Union Berlin, but the club always have their bases covered.
Alistair Johnston has made Celtic forget about Josip Juranovic
Over the weekend, Celtic eased to a 3-0 win over Motherwell, with Alistair Johnston getting on the scoresheet, alongside Luke McCowan and Adam Idah,
With several players absent, Johnston captained Celtic and he was lauded for his performance at Fir Park.
Micheal Stewart described the Canada international as a ‘winner’ and he thinks his performances have been so good that Juranovic has been ‘very quickly’ forgotten about, as he told Premier Sports.
That’s another example of how Celtic’s recruitment just flows and works incredibly well, regardless of who is in the dugout.
“The thing about Alistair Johnston is that he is a winner,” said Stewart. “Totally, he has got that mentality. We saw it as soon as he joined the club.
“Very quickly forgetting about Juranovic because Juranovic was outstanding. He’s out the door very quickly and Alistair Johnston comes in and it’s almost just forgotten about.”
Johnston’s stats at Celtic
Johnston is a born leader and he deserved to be handed the captain’s armband at the weekend.
His consistency levels are high, and he is improving going forward, making him even more dangerous in this all-dominant side.
The trophies will continue to come in, no doubt, with the fullback rated at 7.28 for the season by WhoScored so far.
| Tournament | Apps | Goals | Assists | Clear | Tackles | PS% | AerialsWon | MotM | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premiership | 9 | 3 | 2 | 2.3 | 2 | 86.5 | 1.2 | 2 | 7.71 |
| Copa America Canada | 6 | – | – | 2.2 | 4.3 | 81 | 1.3 | – | 6.92 |
| Champions League | 3 | – | – | 2.3 | 2 | 83 | 1.3 | – | 6.70 |
| Int. Friendly Canada | 3 | – | N/A | N/A | – | N/A | N/A | N/A | – |
| League Cup | 1 | – | N/A | – | – | N/A | N/A | N/A | – |
| Total / Average | 22 | 3 | 2 | 2.3 | 2.8 | 84.1 | 1.3 | 2 | 7.28 |
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