Alistair Johnston was born in Vancouver on 8 October 1998 (age 27) and came through the North American game before reaching Celtic. A Canadian international, he built his senior career with Nashville and then CF Montreal, where his 2022 league season — four goals in 33 appearances — helped make him a more substantial figure than the usual passing right-back option.
Celtic signed Johnston from CF Montreal in January 2023 for around £3m. He arrived as a right-back, took the number 2 shirt, and settled into a side where the demands on that position are not exactly light. His game has been based less on fuss than on reliability: strong enough defensively, willing enough going forward, and generally comfortable with the amount of the ball Celtic full-backs are expected to see.
His Celtic spell has already brought two Premiership titles, two League Cups and two Scottish Cups. That is a decent return for a player still in the earlier part of his peak years, and he has done more than simply collect medals from the edge of the squad.
In 2025-26, Johnston has made four league appearances without scoring, along with a League Cup appearance in which he scored, European involvement and Gold Cup duty with Canada. His current market value is around £7m, according to Transfermarkt.
Johnston remains part of the current Celtic side: a Canada international shaped by Nashville and CF Montreal, then established at Celtic as a dependable right-back with trophies already behind him and a role still to play.
