Scottish Premiership giants Celtic have announced the signing of Canada international Alistair Johnston, subject to international clearance.
The 24-year-old right-back leaves Major League Soccer outfit CF Montreal and joins the Hoops on a five-year contract for a fee believed to be in the region of £3m.
Johnston was recently part of Canada's 26-man squad at the 2022 World Cup and played in all three group-stage games for the Maple Leafs, who finished bottom of Group F behind Morocco, Croatia and Belgium.
The Vancouver-born defender is scheduled to meet up with his new teammates next weekend when Ange Postecoglou's Celtic begin their mid-season training camp in Portugal ahead of the resumption of the Scottish Premiership.
Speaking to Celtic TV on his arrival at the club, Johnston said: "When a club like Celtic comes calling, it will turn any footballer's head, and especially for myself, growing up in a British household, Celtic was one of the clubs that is near and dear to our hearts. And for me, it's one of the biggest clubs in the world.
🆕✍️ #JohnstonAnnounced!
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) December 3, 2022
We are delighted to announce the signing of Canadian International defender Alistair Johnston on a 5-year deal, subject to international clearance.
Welcome to #CelticFC, Alistair! 🍀🇨🇦
"Just to hear that this was a club that was interested in me, and to see the project the coaching staff have and the progress that this team and this club continues to make in Europe as well, it's really exciting.
"Ange really was the one who sold me on it. I think for every single footballer, you want it to be the perfect fit, and you want to go somewhere that, not only do you feel that you're a part of something and you feel that you're wanted, but at the same time, it's a good sporting fit as well.
"And based on what he said he's looking to do with this squad and this club in the next couple of years, it felt like a perfect fit.
"He's looking for young, driven players who want to take that next step and compete at the highest level, compete in the top stages of Europe and, for me, that was something which just called out to me and it felt right.
"From everything I've heard, he's a top manager and his whole coaching staff have just got glowing reviews from everyone I've talked to, so that was another thing which was a big selling point for me on Celtic, and just absolutely made it a home run for me to make the move to Celtic Park."
© Reuters
Johnston has also revealed his family are delighted that he has joined Celtic, adding: "I tell you this, I think they (parents) are already looking at real estate to potentially move back over there.
"We've got a ton of family in Scotland and in Ireland as well, so they're already looking at that, and that's the dream, to be over there and watch their son play week in, week out in the Scottish Premiership, so it's been really exciting.
"My Dad's a huge football fan, and my mum's from Northern Ireland, so there's tons of connections there, and that's also what made it a perfect fit."
After four years with League1 Ontario side Vaughan Azzurri, Johnston joined Nashville SC in January 2020 and went on to make 49 appearances across all competitions.
In December 2021, the 32-cap Canada international then signed for Montreal - who are captained by former Celtic man Victor Wanyama - and he established himself as a first-team regular, recording four goals and four assists in 39 games across all tournaments.
Johnston, who becomes Celtic's second signing of the winter window after Japanese defender Yuki Kobayashi, will be hoping to make his competitive debut for the Hoops when they face Aberdeen in the Premiership on December 17.
Oliver Thomas
