Celtic defender Liam Scales has sung the praises of his defensive teammate.
The Republic of Ireland defender featured in the second half of his side’s 1-1 draw with Canada in Montreal, while Johnston played the opening 45 minutes as Jesse Marsch’s side continued their preparations for the tournament they will co-host, starting from next week.
Scales said (RecordSport):
“He’s top class. He’s an incredible athlete and he’s again another leader.
“I don’t know how many caps he’s got for Canada, I think somewhere in the 50s, and he’s only 27 or 28. He’s another one that leads the group when he’s in it, and he’s a great player. It was great to have him back. I think he managed it perfectly.
“It’s tough coming back from a long-term injury like that and having games back-to-back, and he flew through it. Hopefully now he goes and does the same in the World Cup.”
Johnston’s importance to Celtic was underlined during the closing weeks of last season.
The Canadian international spent six months on the sidelines after picking up an injury in October, missing a significant chunk of the campaign. While Celtic still got the job done domestically, his return for the run-in was a timely reminder of what had been missing.
His energy, aggression and consistency down the right flank immediately lifted the side. Few players in the squad combine reliability and intensity quite like Johnston, and Celtic looked stronger with him back in the team.
Scales’ comments about leadership will not surprise supporters either.
Johnston has captained Celtic before and has established himself as one of the strongest voices in the dressing room. Even during his injury absence, his influence around the squad remained clear.
With another busy summer ahead and uncertainty surrounding several first-team players, retaining key figures will be essential. Johnston falls firmly into that category.
There will rightly be focus on new arrivals over the coming weeks, but keeping hold of proven performers matters just as much. Johnston has already shown his value to Celtic, and Scales’ assessment suggests he is viewed in exactly the same way within both club and international dressing rooms.
