Alistair Johnston (2) hasn't suited up for Canada since last June’s quarter-final penalty shootout loss to Guatemala at the CONCACAF Gold Cup. After hamstring surgery in November, he's working his way back onto the pitch for Celtic.Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
Alistair Johnston hopes his horrible year is finally nearing an end.
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill said earlier this week he hoped to see the Canadian fullback and several other players who have been sidelined by injury in a closed-door friendly before Celtic hosts St. Mirren on Sunday in Scottish Cup semi-final play.
Johnston, who has not played for Celtic since October, underwent hamstring surgery in November.
“The body’s feeling good,” Johnston said. “Look, it’s been a long recovery, but that’s what a hamstring is. You’ve got to be smart with it. You’ve got to take the time and put in the hours. There’s no shortcuts you can take with a hamstring.”
The injury has prevented Johnston from helping Celtic, which has endured a difficult season with managerial changes. The Glasgow powerhouse currently sits third in the Scottish Premiership standings at 21-8-4, three points behind league-leading Hearts and two behind rival Rangers.
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“It’s probably been the longest year of my life and I’ve barely played any of the matches. … It’s just been a constant revolving door,” Johnston lamented. “There’s so much just going on behind the scenes as well. The play on the pitch hasn’t been what we’ve come to expect as a player pool and what our fans have come to expect from a Celtic team.
“So that’s been frustrating. But at the same time, we’re still in a position where if we really put together a string of results here, we have a chance to still win the league and ideally win the Scottish Cup.”
Johnston had to watch Wilfried Nancy, his former CF Montreal coach, be fired by Celtic in early January after just 33 days in charge.
“It was difficult situation. I felt for him,” Johnston said. “I really felt that I let him down to the degree that I couldn’t be out there on the pitch to help really show the lads what he wanted on the grass, in training and ideally in the matches.
“Look, he is still a good coach. … It wasn’t a perfect fit. The timing was unbelievably difficult and I think he would be the first one to admit that. But at the end of the day, I think the buck stops with the players.”
Johnston, seen here with Celtic in the 2024 season, has gone through a frustrating but educating rehab process after his hamstring surgery.Jane Barlow/The Associated Press
Nancy lost his first four games in charge, including the League Cup final, and six out of eight in total. The final straw was a 3-1 home loss to Rangers in the Old Firm derby.
Johnston’s injury has proved to be a lengthy learning experience given the surgery involved going through a major nerve, resulting in “quite a bit of tingling.”
“It’s difficult sometimes to put into words what the sensations are that I’m feeling,” he said. “And sometimes small things might be heightened. Or it’s the opposite. And it’s always difficult for me to then give that information to my physios when they’re asking how it’s feeling.”
The 27-year-old from Aurora, Ont., was initially injured during Celtic’s Aug. 20 Champions League game against Kazakh side Kairat Almaty. He returned against Austria’s Sturm Graz on Oct. 23 but only lasted 23 minutes.
“It was definitely one of the most difficult days when I realized that I had reinjured it and I need to get surgery,” Johnston said. “It was just really frustrating. It felt like it was so unnecessary, taking the risk when I did it. But at the end of the day, you move on quickly.”
Looking for a silver lining, Johnston saw a chance to get fit, help Celtic in the business end of the season and “be fresh going into a World Cup.”
And he counted his blessings.
“At the end of the day, I still am lucky. You get to go in six days a week and I’ve got a physio who’s full-time with me, taking care of my every need and making sure that I come back stronger. I’m still getting paid.
“There’s definitely worse things, worse situations in the world, as frustrating as it was to not be able to go out there and help my teammates.”
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The rehab has shown Johnston he is a “quite a hamstring-dominant runner,” prompting small changes in his stride gait. But by doing that, it leads to more strain on other muscles, which requires more adaptation.
As a result, his training regimen has expanded. And Johnston says he has a much better sense of his body.
Johnston has won 56 caps for Canada, including 50 starts, and has been a key starter under coach Jesse Marsch. He has missed Canada’s last eight outings since last June’s quarter-final penalty shootout loss to Guatemala at the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Invited to Canada’s camp last month in Toronto as a training player, Johnston relished the chance to be back in the group after missing international windows in September, October and November.
He credits wife Peyton for helping him through it, knowing some days were going to be more difficult than others.
“It’s not necessarily a linear recovery,” he said. “There’s going to be some weeks where it feels like it’s getting worse. And other weeks where it feels like I’ve turned a corner.”
Johnston tied the knot with Peyton last June. They met at Wake Forest University where Johnston played soccer and she played tennis.
“She’s a little bit Scottish now,” Johnston said with a smile.
The couple also has a “Scottish dog” named Salem. The name comes from Winston-Salem, N.C., where Wake Forest is located.
Had they got a male dog, the name would have been Winston.