Alistair Johnston, born in Vancouver on 8 October 1998 (age 27), is a Canada international right-back and part of the current Celtic squad, wearing number 2. He arrived in January 2023 from CF Montreal for around £3m, a sensible bit of business that has looked increasingly sound with time.
His last full season in Canada gave a fair indication of what Celtic were getting. In 2022 with CF Montreal, he made 33 league appearances and scored four goals, his most productive league campaign. He was not signed as a headline act, and that has rather suited him: steady, competitive, and generally unwilling to overcomplicate the job.
At Celtic, Johnston has become a reliable presence on the right side of defence. He has won two Premiership titles, two League Cups and two Scottish Cups with the club, which is not a bad return for a player who came in with little fuss and quickly had to understand the demands of the place.
In 2025–26, his form has been solid and consistent. He has made seven league appearances without scoring, added a League Cup goal, and also featured in Champions League qualifying and the Europa League. He has also been involved with Canada, making three Gold Cup appearances this season.
His market value is around £7m, according to Transfermarkt. Johnston’s career so far has been a straightforward rise from Canadian football to becoming an established Celtic full-back and a regular international, with plenty still in front of him.
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