Returning Celtic Star Eyeing World Cup And Trophies
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Celtic defender Alistair Johnston has revealed he is aiming to lift trophies at the Bhoys while he prepares for the World Cup as he returns from injury.
Since joining Celtic from Montreal Impact in January 2023, the 27-year-old has been an important figure and a reliable presence in the backline at Parkhead.
Johnston scored four goals and registered 12 assists during the 2024/25 campaign, underlining his quality going forward too.
The right-back’s hamstring problem began when he was playing against Kairat Almaty in the Champions League playoff round in August 2025.
After being sidelined for around two months, he made a brief return in October during a Europa League match against Sturm Graz.
However, the return did not last long as Johnston was forced off after just 26 minutes against the Austrian outfit and has not featured since for the Bhoys due to recurring hamstring issues.
In recent weeks, he has been making steady progress in his recovery, with his return edging closer as the season approaches its crucial phase.
Despite still not being fully match fit, Johnston was invited to the Canada squad over the international break to take part in training under Jesse Marsch.
He is one of two Scotland based players in the squad, with Rangers‘ defender Derek Cornelius also called up.
Johnston made it clear that his recovery is progressing well, with the focus now on building fitness and regaining match sharpness through training and a potential friendly.
He also made it clear that he is targeting silverware with Celtic, ahead of what is a key summer for Canada at the World Cup, a tournament the defender wants to be ready to play in.
Johnston was quoted as saying by The Herald: “I am happy with how it is coming along.
“I feel strong and now it’s just about building up.
“The plan is to get a couple of good weeks’ training and hopefully get a friendly game, which would be set up when I get back.
“So I will be looking to kick on with the tail end of the season in Scotland and ideally lift a couple of trophies and be ready to go for the World Cup.
“When you do two months of individual sessions on your own, you are just desperate to kick a ball.”
During Johnston’s absence, youngster Colby Donovan has stepped up at right-back position for Celtic, while they also loaned in Julian Araujo from Bournemouth during the winter transfer window.
How much game time Martin O’Neill might give Johnston towards the end of the season remains to be seen, especially with every game likely to be hugely important and limited scope to ease him back in.
Canada have been placed into Group B at the World Cup, along with Qatar, Switzerland and either Bosnia or Italy.
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