Alistair Johnston names the Celtic heroes that helped him grasp Glasgow reality amid 'mental demands'

Alistair Johnston admits it’s been a mind blowing 18 months at Celtic trying to get his head around the fact he can’t even nick to the shops without getting swarmed by fans.

But the Canadian ace has learned to embrace the mayhem after watching Parkhead legends Callum McGregor and James Forrest deal with it their entire lives. Johnston has been a smash hit for Celts since his switch from MLS outfit Montreal in January 2023. The full back slotted into the side like he’d been around the club for years – but it wasn’t so straightforward in the background. The relatively chilled out soccer environment of the MLS is a world away from the 24/7 fitba' obsession in Glasgow.

And Johnston is just glad he's had the likes of Forrest and McGregor to show him how to handle it. The 25-year-old fans favourite – who has claimed an incredible Treble then a Double in his short time in Scotland – said: “It is something I have definitely learned and I have talked to the older guys because it is amazing. Jamesy for example, has lived and breathed it his entire life.

“I’ve learned it, going to the grocery store and even just simple things like that, you are constantly getting bombarded and just recognised. It takes a mental toll on you as well.

“I did struggle with that because it was just something I wasn’t used to. But talking to the older guys, you can see Jamesy, he is never going to go a day pretty much without someone saying something about Celtic.

“So it is really difficult because you need to be professional at all times, and you need to show yourself in the best way possible. It’s definitely hard. Obviously, there’s the physical demands, but it’s also the mental demands.

“There’s the pressure day-in and day-out of not only just