Sam Johnstone has revealed he went down a YouTube rabbit hole watching Joe Hart and Celtic before deciding to make his move to Parkhead.
Celtic entered the summer transfer market looking for an experienced goalkeeper after Kasper Schmeichel was forced to retire midway through last season.
Viljami Sinisalo carried on as the club’s No.1 and has produced some solid performances, although there have been questions from sections of the support over whether the Finland international has the required level for European football.
Martin O’Neill and Celtic eventually moved to bring in an experienced alternative, with Johnstone arriving on loan from Wolves in the final days of the transfer window.
The 33-year-old had already revealed that he contacted former Celtic goalkeeper Hart before making the move, with the ex-England international giving him a glowing account of life in Glasgow.
Johnstone has now revealed that he did a little more research himself.
Once the opportunity became a possibility, the goalkeeper turned to YouTube to get a better feel for Celtic and what awaited him at Parkhead.
“I’d seen a couple of games. And then, to be honest, once I knew about the opportunity to come here, I also YouTubed some of his games and really took in how it is and how he was and things like that,” Johnstone said to The Celtic Way.
“We are different characters, but I was so excited that, I thought, I’m going to watch Joe’s stuff after he told me that he loved it and it would be a great opportunity.
“He didn’t tell me he had a 40-foot banner, but I’d seen that anyway, which is unbelievable.
“And then me and Woodsy, the goalie coach, we sat down, and he showed me that as well.”
Hart’s popularity at Celtic clearly made an impression on Johnstone, with the former goalkeeper still held in extremely high regard by the Parkhead support. In recent times, the former goalie has now become an unofficial ambassador for the club.
Johnstone now has the chance to create his own memories in Glasgow as he competes with Sinisalo for the Celtic No.1 jersey.
The experienced stopper will be hoping his move can prove as successful as Hart’s spell at Parkhead, which saw him become a hugely popular figure before his retirement.
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