Alistair Johnston reveals 'tension' at Celtic with Josip Juranovic after Ange Postecoglou Rangers decision

Alistair Johnston has recalled some "tension" between himself and Josip Juranovic after he was picked to start against Rangers on his debut.

The Canadian, 25, joined Celtic back in 2023 before Juranovic's eventual switch to Union Berlin. Manager at the time, Ange Postecoglou, had made the decision to sell the Croatian and Johnston was signed from Montreal Impact as his replacement. Johnston, though, had barely trained with the first-team the week before the game and the assumption was that Juranovic would keep his place.

But after a meeting with Postecoglou where he was told he'd start, Johnston felt his teammates would also have been clued in. When he discovered they hadn't been, the full-back admitted to Footy Prime that there was some awkwardness.

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"I didn't think I was going to play," he said. "I hadn’t been training with the starting eleven the entire week, but the other full-back was kind of on the move. They brought me in with the thought that he was going to be sold at some point in that January window. We trained, it was matchday minus one, and the gaffer (Postecoglou) called me up to his office.

"I go up there, and he goes ‘Look mate, you’re going to start, I'm going to put you at right-back. Are you ready for this? You just came off the World Cup, you'll be like a duck to water’. I said 'alright, perfect.'

"I was thinking that the other right-back had come in and said he couldn't play, he wasn't fit or whatever. I go to the hotel, I’m a little jittery, this is my first match, Ibrox away, league title in the balance, the big one. We get into the dressing room, he announces the lineup, and no-one knew that I was starting. Even the right-back didn’t know - he thought he was starting! I was like ‘Oh man, I’ve got to have a good game now, this is a little bit of tension’.

"Walking in there, you are absolutely behind enemy lines. It was unbelievable, the place was rocking. We went a goal up early, and I remember feeling like this is a proper match."