.jpg) Johnston with Canada in 2022 | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alistair William Johnston[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1998-10-08)October 8, 1998 (age 27) | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Vancouver,British Columbia, Canada | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[2] | ||||||||||||||||
| Position | Right-back | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Celtic | ||||||||||||||||
| Number | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2005 | Lakeshore SC | ||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2011 | Aurora Youth SC | ||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Richmond Hill SC | ||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | ANB Futbol | ||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2019 | Vaughan SC | ||||||||||||||||
| College career | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | St. John's Red Storm | 36 | (10) | ||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Wake Forest Demon Deacons | 43 | (6) | ||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2015–2020 | Vaughan Azzurri | 15 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Nashville SC | 44 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2022 | CF Montréal | 33 | (4) | ||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Celtic | 80 | (6) | ||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||
| 2021– | Canada | 56 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of August 10, 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of June 29, 2025 | |||||||||||||||||
Alistair William Johnston (born October 8, 1998) is a Canadian professionalsoccer player who plays as aright-back forScottish Premiership clubCeltic and theCanada national team.
Johnston began his senior career withVaughan Azzurri. He later had spells withMajor League Soccer teamsNashville SC andCF Montréal before signing forCeltic in late 2022. He made his debut for Canada in 2021 and represented the country at the2022 FIFA World Cup and2024 Copa América.
Johnston was born inVancouver to a Canadian father and a Northern Irish mother fromPoleglass. His family moved toMontreal when he was four, where he began playing soccer withLakeshore SC. The family again moved toAurora, Ontario when he was seven.[3] There, he played youth soccer withAurora FC andRichmond Hill SC.[4] He made his debut in the Canadian youth program at an under-18 camp in 2015, when he was 16.[5] He played youth soccer withANB Futbol, and earned a tryout with French clubTroyes AC while there.[6][7] In 2015, he joinedVaughan SC, helping them win the 2015 U-18/U-19 Disney Soccer Showcase, the 2015 OYSL U-18 League title,[8] and the 2016 and 2017 U21Ontario Cup.[9]
Johnston attendedSt. John's University for two years, before moving toWake Forest University in 2018 in search of a bigger challenge both in soccer and academically. He switched positions from central midfield to right-back upon joining Wake Forest.[10]
While in college, Johnston returned to Canada to play withLeague1 Ontario sideVaughan Azzurri from 2015 to 2019 during the college offseason. He played in the2019 Canadian Championship for Vaughan Azzurri and was sent off in the second leg of the away goals defeat to theHFX Wanderers.
On January 9, 2020, Johnston was selected 11th overall byNashville SC in the2020 MLS SuperDraft.[11] He officially signed with the club on February 25, 2020.[12] Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, which included Nashville withdrawing from theMLS is Back Tournament due to an outbreak amongst the team,[13] his debut was delayed until August 12 againstFC Dallas, coming on as a substitute.[5] He made his first start four days later, also against Dallas.[14] He helped the club reach theMLS Playoffs in their debut season, making 18 appearances.[15]
On September 22, 2021, Johnston scored his first MLS goal in a 5–1 victory overInter Miami.[16] In December 2021, Nashville announced they were exercising Johnston's contract option, keeping him at the club through the2022 MLS season.[17]
On December 23, 2021,CF Montréal acquired Johnston from Nashville in exchange for $1 million in allocation money, with Nashville also retaining a percentage of a transfer fee in a future sale.[18] Montreal confirmed the deal on December 27 and announced Johnston had also signed a new contract taking him through 2023, with options for 2024 and 2025.[19] He made his debut for Montreal on February 23, as a substitute againstLiga MX sideSantos Laguna in the club's second leg of their2022 CONCACAF Champions League tie.[20] Johnston scored his first goal for Montreal on May 14, the second goal in a 2–0 victory againstCharlotte FC.[21]
In December 2022, CF Montréal announced they had transferred Johnston toScottish Premiership sideCeltic, taking effect January 1, 2023.[22] He signed a 5-year contract with theGlasgow club.[23] Upon the announcement, Johnston stated at a press conference that former Celtic and current CF Montréal midfielderVictor Wanyama was a major influence on his decision to move tothe Bhoys.[24][25]
Johnston made his debut for Celtic on January 2, starting againstrivalsRangers and playing the entire match in a 2–2 away draw.[26] He then made his home debut a few days later, starting again in a 2–0 win againstKilmarnock.[27] On March 5, 2023, Johnston scored his first goal for Celtic in a 5–1 away win againstSt Mirren.[28] Johnston ended his first season atCeltic Park having helped them to a domestic treble, winning thePremiership, theLeague Cup and theScottish Cup.[29]
On November 22, 2024, Johnston signed a new five-year contract with Celtic, keeping him at the club until 2029.[30]
Johnston accepted an invitation to theCanada national team camp in January 2021.[31] He made his debut for Canada on March 25, 2021, as a 69th-minute substitute againstBermuda in the first round of2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying.[32] He scored his first goal for his country in the following match, an 11–0 win against theCayman Islands, which became the largest victory in the team's history.[33] In June 2021, Johnston was named to the 60-man preliminary squad for the2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup,[34] and on July 1 he was named to the final squad.[35]
In November 2022, Johnston was called up to Canada's squad for the2022 FIFA World Cup,[36] where he played in all three of Canada's matches. In June 2023, he was named to Canada's 23-man squad for the2023 CONCACAF Nations League Finals.[37]
In June 2024, Johnston was named in Canada's squad for the2024 Copa América.[38] Following the conclusion of the competition, he was named in the Team of the Tournament, being the only non-South American player included.[39]
Johnston's younger brother,Malcolm, is also a soccer player and was selected in the first round of the2023 MLS SuperDraft byNew York City.[40][41]
Johnston proposed to his girlfriend, Peyton Pesavento, in July 2024.[42][43]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Vaughan Azzurri | 2015 | League1 Ontario | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||||
| 2016[45] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||||
| 2017[46] | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||||||
| 2018[47] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||||
| 2019[48] | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 8 | 1 | |||||
| Total | 15 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 17 | 1 | |||||
| Nashville SC | 2020 | Major League Soccer | 18 | 0 | — | — | — | 3[c] | 0 | 21 | 0 | |||
| 2021 | 26 | 1 | — | — | — | 2[c] | 0 | 28 | 1 | |||||
| Total | 44 | 1 | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | 49 | 1 | |||||
| CF Montréal | 2022 | Major League Soccer | 33 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | 3[d] | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | 39 | 4 | |
| Celtic | 2022–23 | Scottish Premiership | 14 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 20 | 1 | ||
| 2023–24 | 32 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6[e] | 0 | — | 42 | 1 | |||
| 2024–25 | 32 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10[e] | 0 | — | 49 | 4 | |||
| 2025–26 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2[f] | 0 | — | 5 | 1 | |||
| Total | 80 | 6 | 13 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 18 | 0 | — | 116 | 7 | |||
| Career total | 171 | 12 | 16 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 21 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 220 | 13 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | 2021 | 18 | 1 |
| 2022 | 15 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 12 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 56 | 1 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 29, 2021 | IMG Academy,Bradenton, United States |  Cayman Islands | 6–0 | 11–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Celtic
Individual
Canada squads | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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