ALISTAIR Johnston has had an intense 18-month journey in football, commencing in Honduras and concluding at Hampden, with stops in Qatar, Canada, and various locations across the United States.

Alistair Johnston
3rd June 2023; Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland: Scottish Cup Football Final, Celtic versus Inverness Caledonian Thistle; Alistair Johnston of Celtic walks away with the trophy

This gruelling 73-game stretch, which began in January 2022, included World Cup qualification, three appearances in the World Cup, a full Major League Soccer season with Montreal, and a six-month stint in Glasgow’s east end.

Despite the physical toll, Johnston is already focusing on his next challenge with Celtic, following their record-breaking eighth Treble win.

This period has been more than a whirlwind for the 24-year-old. After the Scottish Cup Final’s thrilling conclusion, Johnston is preparing for his next challenge: the Nations League semi-final against Panama in the scorching Nevada heat of Las Vegas. Following this, he will either participate in the final or the third-place play-off. Only then will he have the opportunity to rest for a brief 14 days.

Johnston acknowledges the physical strain of the past few months but maintains that the opportunity to compete for a Treble has motivated him to push through the pain. He is looking forward to a short break before returning to international football, reflecting on a year that has exceeded his expectations. Johnston is eager to rest and prepare his body for the upcoming season, which he anticipates will be just as demanding.

He reflected: [Daily Record]

“Yes, and it’s been a long one too.

“I’ve done a full season in MLS and then going to the World Cup and then coming here it’s been a whirlwind. That’s the best way to describe it. It’s been a long 18 months but it’s been really enjoyable.

“My body has definitely started to deteriorate over these past few months but at the same time when you have the opportunity to go for a Treble that helps you push through that pain barrier.

“I’m happy with that and I will get a nice week or so before I’m back into international football! But that’s the life. It’s been a great start to life at Celtic.

“I’m just going to have to reflect on it. It’s been a great year for me personally. I want to enjoy my off-season and get my body ready to go as this is going to be the expectation next year.”

Before that, however, he will return to international football, participating in the Nations League semi-final following a few days of rest. Depending on the outcome, he will either compete in the final or the third-place match in Las Vegas. Johnston is preparing for the significant temperature change, which will be 20 degrees warmer than he has become accustomed to in Scotland. After this, he will have a couple of weeks off before returning for the pre-season. Despite the quick turnaround, Johnston embraces the challenges of modern football.

“I’ll get a couple of days off and then we’re right into Nations League. We have a semi-final as we’ve already done our group stage stuff.

“And then hopefully we’ll have the final after that. If not we’ll go into the third place match out in Las Vegas. So I’ll need to get used to the heat as it will be 20 degrees warmer than this and I’ve kind of acclimated to Scottish weather!

“That one on Saturday was cooking for me but 40C would be a bit of a different beast. After that I get a couple of weeks off then come back here for pre-season. That’s football these days. It’s a quick turnaround but we love it.”

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.