Max Johnston keeps his Motherwell feet on the ground amid swirling transfer chat and burning desire to emulate dad

It was almost inevitable that Max Johnston would be a footballer.

After all, when he was born, his dad Allan was playing in the Premier League for Middlesbrough. His uncle Sammy had just retired following stints at St Johnstone, Ayr and Partick Thistle. Growing up, he was surrounded by framed shirts and memorabilia. And as he got older, he started watching YouTube clips of ‘Magic’ in action.

The Hearts hat-trick against Rangers. The Champions League nights at Ibrox. Goals, assists and Wembley appearances for Sunderland. As a kid, Max became immersed in the game so was always going to be a chip off the old block. And there’s something else he picked up from his dad. A willingness and a desire to be different. When Allan Johnston left Hearts for French club Rennes in 1996, he was a bit of a trailblazer. Not many Scots were going abroad to ply their trade. And that confidence to try something out of the ordinary appears to have rubbed off on his boy. When other Motherwell youngsters were probably on their Xbox or Playstation, Max was away learning SPANISH in his spare time.

And when he’s not picking up another language, he’s in the gym doing extra sessions away from Fir Park. That’s his mindset. And it’s why the 19-year-old full-back is being tipped for the very top.

Johnston has been a revelation since returning to Lanarkshire following a loan spell at Cove Rangers earlier this season. He’s now Motherwell’s and Scotland Under-21’s’ first-choice right-back.

And with his contract up this summer, big clubs in England and abroad are showing concrete interest. Johnston has a single-mindedness and level of professionalism that is rare in young players. Learning Spanish off his own back is just one example of it.

In an exclusive