As Celtic attempts to win their eleventh Premiership in thirteen years, Alistair Johnson has opened up about the strain of the fierce title chase.
The Canadian defender for the World Cup, who joined the Hoops in January of last year after leaving MLS team CF Montreal for £3.5 million, won THREE domestic awards in just five months.
In his eleventh game for his new club, he lifted a League Cup medal in the 2-1 victory over Michael Beale’s ibrox team. In May, he followed up with the flag as the team won 2-0 at Tynecastle over Hearts to seal the deal. On June 3, he completed a memorable hat-trick in the 3-1 Scottish Cup victory over Inverness Caley Thistle.
Johnston’s run of victories was cut short in August when the holders lost 1-0 to Kilmarnock at Rugby Park in the League Cup.
With eight league games remaining, beginning at Livingston a week from today, and a Scottish Cup semi-final against Aberdeen at Hampden scheduled for Saturday, April 20, the daring and vivacious defender is now looking to get back on track.
The Ibrox club is in control of the match, putting the champions one point clear of their closest rivals. In two weeks, the third derby of the season will take place at Govan. Brendan Rodgers’ team has already won the last two encounters between the Glasgow rivals.
According to Johnston, who examined the stress levels, “it takes a big personality to deal with that because there are expectations.”
At that level, I have discovered that you need to possess a certain amount of mental toughness, persistence, and resilience because not every day will be as wonderful as it appears to the outside world. The pressure is enormous.
“The pressure is palpable.” First of all, the rivalry is simply far deeper, so it’s nothing like what I saw in the Major League Soccer.
Speaking to the Canadian sports publication OneSoccer, Johnston went on, “You know when you walk out the door you are going to be loved or hated because you live in the same city.”
It’s an intriguing thing that you need to pick up on quickly. However, you also sense that you are under pressure to succeed and that you should win.
It is expected of you to not only succeed but also to do so in a particular manner.
“That has been tough for us to feel so often this year.”
The 25-year-old international continued, “There has not been quite as long of that period of grace given when there is a lot of change and a new manager coming in,” in reference to the managerial transition that will see Brendan Rodgers replace Spurs-bound Ange Postecoglou in June.
“There is never a period of time at these clubs where you can say, ‘Okay, things are new.'” At these large clubs, it’s not the case.
“The pressure is there from the beginning; it’s straight in.”
In terms of his quest for a Premiership medal, Johnston’s journey has gone well thus far.
That’s what the resolute back-four operator wants to maintain.
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