'A real delight' - Celtic secure 26 y/o first-team star on new long-term contract

Alistair Johnston has penned an extension until the summer of 2029 after a number of standout performances for the Parkhead side since joining from FC Montreal in January last year.

The Canadian international has amassed 79 appearances and scored six goals for the club, while just this week he surpassed the half-century mark for his country, earning his 50th and 51st caps.

He has also deputised as Celtic captain on occasion, most recently in a 3-0 away win at Motherwell, and is now on the same length of deal as fellow first-team stars Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, Nicolas Kuhn, Paulo Bernardo and Adam Idah.

“I am just delighted to extend my contract with Celtic," Johnston told the Celtic website. "I got a brilliant welcome to the club in 2022 and ever since I have had the best of times, loving every minute as part of such a great institution and I wanted to continue to be part of that.

“It’s an absolute honour to pull that famous jersey on every week and to have achieved so much success with my team-mates already has been so satisfying. But of course, we want more and that is our focus.

“It is a real delight to be working day in, day out in such a great set-up, working with the gaffer and the staff who have such ambition for success and with such a great group of lads in the team.

“Of course my team-mates have been everything to me - it is a brilliant dressing room I am privileged to be part of, with real quality guys beside me and I know we are all, collectively looking to work as hard as we can to bring our fans even more success over the next few years.”

Celtic manager, Brendan Rodgers, added: “It is fantastic news for the club and our fans that Ali has agreed this new contract.

“In a relatively short period of time he has established himself as a fantastic player for Celtic, showing real quality and just delivering performance after performance for us, week in, week out.

“He has a phenomenal work ethic and attitude, brilliant hunger and positivity, such an honest love for the game and a real desire to improve in everything he does. These are the qualities which make a great player and he has certainly been that for Celtic.

“Everyone at the club felt it crucial that we extend Ali’s contract with Celtic and I am delighted that we have been able to do this.”