Alistair Johnston reveals 'tension' with Josip Juranovic after Ange's bold call to throw him in at Celtic deep end

Johnston arrived and immediately took Juranovic's spot - leading to a tense moment in the dressing room

Alistair Johnston reveals he felt some 'tension' between himself and Josip Juranovic after Ange Postecoglou threw him in at the deep end at Ibrox for his debut.

Celtic signed Johnston from Vancouver Whitecaps ahead of the 2023 January window and far from the phased-in introduction often given to new signings from far-away leagues, the Canadian was thrown straight into the pressure-cooker. Signed as the contingency plan for Josip Juranovic, who was being heavily linked with various moves away, Johnston started the very first game he was eligible for - a fiery 2-2 draw against Rangers on enemy territory.

He showed his battling qualities in that one and must have made an impression as he's been the Hoops' starting right-back virtually ever since. His inclusion over the tried-and-tested Juranovic was a surprise, although as it happened, they got on the pitch together, with the Croatian subbed on to replace the injured Greg Taylor.

Celtic led early on and despite Rangers turning the game on its head to lead early in the second half, Kyogo's late equaliser denied the Ibrox side a win. Incredibly, they won their next 12 league games, Johnston starting all-but one of them, to charge away from their rivals. Juranovic's later exit to Union Berlin failed to knock them out of their stride - he started just one more game, at left-back against St Mirren, before he was sold - and Johnston remembers the exact moment the tide shifted in his favour.

He told the Footy Prime podcast: “I didn't think I was going to play, 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."