Alistair Johnston has admitted he would love to test himself in the Premier League one day but insists he is just as happy with the prospect of spending his career at Celtic.
The Canadian defender, currently sidelined with injury, has quickly established himself as a fans’ favourite since arriving in Glasgow. Speaking on the Park The Bus podcast, Johnston reflected on his long-term future and the balance between ambition and loyalty.
“It’s a really good problem to have. None of those options sound bad to me in the slightest,” Johnston said. “If you were to say to me that I could finish my career at Celtic it means that I’ve done something really, really well done. I’ve done something right for a club of this magnitude to want to keep me in the building for that long.
“But at the same time, I’m a player who struggles when they get satisfied to a degree, I get comfortable. I think sometimes that’s where my game can lag a little bit. I rely on my physicality and my mental fortitude of being so locked in, so sometimes I like being out of my comfort zone. That’s what brings out the best in me.
“Yeah, the Premier League is a dream of pretty much every player, it’s the highest level you can play at. But in my time here at Celtic I’ve been able to play in some pretty big matches in the Champions League, and I don’t think that match against Rangers can ever be looked down on either. There are only a couple of derbies close to that size.
“My biggest thing is can I look at this season and get back to fully fit and take another step in my development so I can push on this second half of the season with Celtic. Whatever happens after that, we will see.
“But to answer your question, I have aspirations to play in the biggest leagues in the world. At the same time I’m really settled here, it’s a great city, it’s a great fan base who truly love me and appreciate me — and the grass isn’t always greener. We’ve seen that a few times. The grass at Celtic is quite green, it’s well watered!”
Long gone are the days that signing for Celtic is the end goal, or the big move of a career. Celtic offer players a platform to get a switch to a bigger league, while offering the chance to play European football in front of 60,000 supporters every week. It’s no real shock if Alistair Johnston has aspirations of the Premier League, but he’s set them out respectably. He’s clearly happy at Celtic and isn’t pushing for a move.
He arrived in 2022 from the MLS and has continued to grow and develop as a Celtic player since. He’s gone on to make 115 appearances, scoring seven goals and assisting a further 22 in all competitions. In his first season at Parkhead, he won a treble.
The defender feels that he is currently ahead of schedule in his injury recovery progress.
