Celtic’s Alistair Johnston has been named on FIFA’s prestigious ‘The Best’ shortlist for defenders, an impressive accolade to be nominated for.
Since joining Celtic in late 2022, Johnston has been a revelation. His defensive solidity, combined with his ability to contribute offensively, has made him an indispensable part of Brendan Rodgers’ squad. The 25-year-old’s influence has been felt in both domestic dominance and the club’s ongoing European campaigns.
Who’d you vote as Best Defender at FIFA The Best Awards 2024? ✨🗳️ pic.twitter.com/vW58U9KpzT
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 29, 2024
Former Celtic man Frimpong and Johnston’s international teammate Davies are also up for the award.
Statistical analysis also places Johnston as one of the best right-backs outside of Europe’s top five leagues, underlining his exceptional form.
On the international stage, Johnston has become a cornerstone of the Canadian national team, earning over 50 caps. His consistent performances helped Canada qualify for their first World Cup in 36 years in 2022, and he continues to play a pivotal role in their CONCACAF campaigns.
Johnston’s importance to Celtic was recently reinforced with a new contract, keeping him at Parkhead until 2029.
Being shortlisted for FIFA’s ‘The Best’ Defender award is a significant milestone in Johnston’s career.
Winning the award is another thing, but being nominated for it is an achievement for the Celtic player.
Since his debut at Ibrox, Johnston hasn’t looked back. He’s seamlessly taken over from Josip Juranovic, and is arguably added some more quality to the position.
First up: congrats to AJ! How nice to get to comment on an unalloyed good news story. Our back line is pretty good right now. If we sort out left back it’s great. I’d like to see us test Barca’s release clause for Valle and look at someone like KT. If we did we’d need both as KT’s injury record since leaving us has been spotty. Taylor is very good domestically but a Schmeichel, AJ, CCV, Trusty, KT back line backed by Sinasalo, Ralston, Scales and Valle would be excellent for our revenue. HH