Alistair Johnston

[SthMelbRed]

20 minutes ago, kacbru said:

When a CMNT player goes to Celtic or Rangers, their CMNT career dies.  Or so I heard...

Colin Miller went to the World Cup for us while he was on the books at Rangers.

[jonovision]

Bit of a tactical wrinkle today: Johnston was stepping up into midfield, both in possession and defensively, more often than I'm used to seeing today. Laryea was always quick to take up his spot in the back 3. 

Edited November 24, 2022 by jonovision

[Stryker911]

There was a few rumors about him heading to Bologna as well. Italy would certainly be preferred over Scotland. However, he has mentioned quite a few times how much he loved Champions league growing up. Which is something he would get with Celtic over Bologna.

[ECW]

4 hours ago, jonovision said:

Bit of a tactical wrinkle today: Johnston was stepping up into midfield, both in possession and defensively, more often than I'm used to seeing today. Laryea was always quick to take up his spot in the back 3. 

Herdman had them doing this earlier in qualifying and it worked well. 

Edited November 24, 2022 by ECW

[ECW]

5 hours ago, Floortom said:

Wanyama and VD were much younger when they started at Celtic. People forget that Ali isn’t a kid - he’s 24. He’s good enough to move to a better league now IMO. You never know what happens when you make an intermediate move like this - maybe it doesn’t work out, maybe he gets stuck there etc.

if he has the chance at a better league (and I don’t know for a fact whether he does or doesn’t) I would think that’s the better move.

 

Juranovic, who he’d replace, is thought to be making “a big money move” at 27 after only one season with Celtic. 

[InglewoodJack]

I’m sure if he does go to Celtic, his agents are aware of the other opportunities out there and also knows that opportunities may come after the World Cup. Not sure what Bologna’s roster looks like, but possible Celtic can offer him better playing opportunities, more minutes, etc.

 

also, doesn’t he have a UK passport via Northern Ireland or some kind of Irish connection? He seems the time who would really buy into Celtic culture. People talk about the possibility of Eustaquio staying with Porto long term, becoming a future club legend, so on, but that sounds like something AJ could very much do at Celtic. 

Edited November 24, 2022 by InglewoodJack

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

22 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

...also, doesn’t he have a UK passport via Northern Ireland or some kind of Irish connection?...

If his mother is from there getting one should be no problem. With a name like Alistair Johnston and a mother from Newtonards (if wikipedia is to be believed) I seriously doubt he has Celtic leanings, but that doesn't always matter once the sport becomes a career.

[Sal333]

2 minutes ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

If his mother is from there getting one should be no problem. With a name like Alistair Johnston and a mother from Newtonards (if wikipedia is to be believed) I seriously doubt he has Celtic leanings, but that doesn't always matter once the sport becomes a career.

I heard his mother speak on a clip. She has a Canadian accent so she must have come over real young.

[Floortom]

Veth reporting that talks are very advanced and this is pretty much a done deal.

 

[InglewoodJack]

7 minutes ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

If his mother is from there getting one should be no problem. With a name like Alistair Johnston and a mother from Newtonards (if wikipedia is to be believed) I seriously doubt he has Celtic leanings, but that doesn't always matter once the sport becomes a career.

He has a UK passport already, I was under the impression he had an Irish connection too. Transfermarkt also says he’s a Canadian-Irish (ROI) dual, so I’m not sure if that’s what I was thinking about or if he has NI roots too.

Edited November 24, 2022 by InglewoodJack

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

I like Johnston and could hold my nose and support him at Celtic but would need an industrial strength gorilla glue hold. 

Put me down for Serie A. 

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

6 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

He has a UK passport already, I was under the impression he had an Irish connection too. Transfermarkt also says he’s a Canadian-Irish (ROI) dual, so I’m not sure if that’s what I was thinking about or if he has NI roots too.

He can almost certainly get an RoI passport through his mother being from NI originally. Much the same reasons as how people from Bosnia can wind up playing for Croatia etc. Given that passport opens up the EU plus Norway and Switzerland in work terms in a way a UK doesn't any more there are reasons to do that even if you prefer the UK.

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

9 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

He has a UK passport already, I was under the impression he had an Irish connection too. Transfermarkt also says he’s a Canadian-Irish (ROI) dual, so I’m not sure if that’s what I was thinking about or if he has NI roots too.

His mom is from the North, I think, that would give her ROI citizenship if she wants. Though him talking about pretending to play for England when young would argue against her being inclined that way.  And not sure that passes on. 

[jordan]

3 minutes ago, WestHamCanadianinOxford said:

His mom is from the North, I think, that would give her ROI citizenship if she wants. Though him talking about pretending to play for England when young would argue against her being inclined that way.  And not sure that passes on. 

I recently learned this due to watching Derry Girls on netflix.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

4 minutes ago, WestHamCanadianinOxford said:

His mom is from the North, I think, that would give her ROI citizenship if she wants. Though him talking about pretending to play for England when young would argue against her being inclined that way.  And not sure that passes on. 

Through a parent it does automatically. Beyond that think the birth needs to have been registered in a foreign births register the RoI has.

Edited November 24, 2022 by Ozzie_the_parrot

[InglewoodJack]

18 minutes ago, WestHamCanadianinOxford said:

His mom is from the North, I think, that would give her ROI citizenship if she wants. Though him talking about pretending to play for England when young would argue against her being inclined that way.  And not sure that passes on. 

Right, I forgot about the NI citizens being eligible for an ROI pasport.

Looking at Ireland's dual nationals, we get upset when we lose a player, but Ireland could probably field a competitive world cup roster with just players who have turned down their invitation. Kane, Rice, Maddison, Alistair Johnston, I know there are a ton more.

[VinceA]

37 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

He has a UK passport already, I was under the impression he had an Irish connection too. Transfermarkt also says he’s a Canadian-Irish (ROI) dual, so I’m not sure if that’s what I was thinking about or if he has NI roots too.

It's Northern Ireland and on the transfer speculations comments, people keep making fun of the town I guess it's boring or something LOL

[InglewoodJack]

19 minutes ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

Through a parent it does automatically. Beyond that think the birth needs to have been registered in a foreign births register the RoI has.

It passes through 3 generations, and passes through a 4th, provided the 3rd gen received Irish citizenship prior to the birth of the 4th generation (ie you can claim citizenship with one irish great-grandparent, provided your mother or father have claimed their citizenship prior to your birth). I know this, as my own Irish (And thus European) passport eligibility expired due to my dad waiting a full 20 years after I was born to actually start travelling, so he never bothered filing the paperwork when he was younger.

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

2 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

Right, I forgot about the NI citizens being eligible for an ROI pasport.

Looking at Ireland's dual nationals, we get upset when we lose a player, but Ireland could probably field a competitive world cup roster with just players who have turned down their invitation. Kane, Rice, Maddison, Alistair Johnston, I know there are a ton more.

Grealish played youth ball for them, off the top of my head.

[InglewoodJack]

7 minutes ago, WestHamCanadianinOxford said:

Grealish played youth ball for them, off the top of my head.

That’s the one I was forgetting- I found that out watching the England-Iran game. I think there are a few other England nationals who would also qualify.

[InglewoodJack]

Also, missed this part: https://t.co/hlHr0UKL1Z

AJ is the most valuable defender in MLS?

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

Just now, InglewoodJack said:

...provided the 3rd gen received Irish citizenship prior to the birth of the 4th generation (ie you can claim citizenship with one irish great-grandparent, provided your mother or father have claimed their citizenship prior to your birth)...

Up to the 1980s it was up to the fourth generation with no extra strings attached and John Aldridge of Liverpool played for them in two World Cups on that basis. Could have done it as well (passport not World Cups and playing for Liverpool obviously) because my great-grandmother was born in Donegal but the second generation involved would have gone completely apoplectic if I had so gave that the body swerve. Might regret that the next time I am waiting for what seems like an eternity in the other passports line at Frankfurt airport or somewhere like that.

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

1 minute ago, InglewoodJack said:

Also, missed this part: https://t.co/hlHr0UKL1Z

AJ is the most valuable defender in MLS?

https://extra.ie/2022/11/20/sport/soccernews/irish-qualified-2022-world-cup

Also Phillips, Wilson, Maguire and Bellingham but they do mention Johnston in there as "the most obscure"

[Califax]

2 hours ago, WestHamCanadianinOxford said:

I like Johnston and could hold my nose and support him at Celtic but would need an industrial strength gorilla glue hold. 

Put me down for Serie A. 

Amen.

Bad enough I had to watch him at Montreal. If he goes to Celtic, then - heaven forbid - Spurs, that would be the trifecta of shite. 

[Cheeta]

Curious as to the fee (if this comes off) and terms, the pound ain't what it used to be.

Man may be in for quite the experience.

Anyway, getting ahead of ourselves.  More of the same from AJ on Sunday please.