Alistair Johnston is thrilled his parents will be cheering him on at Hampden today – he just hopes his old man remembers it this time.
The Celtic right-back revealed mum Kathryn and dad Bill watched last week’s Premiership title party back home in Canada – and immediately decided to book up for Glasgow and the Scottish Cup final. They could now watch their son help the Parkhead club to the treble, and a third trophy of a Celtic career still very much in its infancy.
Clinching it with his family attendance would make the occasion all the more special for Johnston, who is growing used to these Hampden outings at a rapid rate since arriving from CF Montreal in January. He admits his dad was ‘enjoying himself quite a bit’ when Celtic beat Rangers to the Viaplay Cup back in February, and hopes there’s another celebration on the cards this weekend.
“It’s funny, but they didn’t actually fly out for the trophy presentation last week,” Johnston explained. “They were seeing all the pictures from the celebrations on the pitch and stuff.
“We were at our team function later and it was late when I got a call. I thought ‘Who’s this calling me at this time?’ It turned out it was my dad, asking me if I was enjoying myself and I told him it had been a great evening.
“He then told me they’d just booked flights because we felt we were missing out. So, my mum and dad will both be out for the final, so that’s good.
“I think they’re excited to be there. My dad’s already been at Hampden, but my mum hasn’t experienced it so she’s excited.
“Hopefully we can seal it the right way and they can see a good celebration afterwards. My dad was loving it at the League Cup final.
“I’m not too sure he remembers it too well because he was enjoying himself quite a bit. All the other parents came up to him and they could tell he was probably the one who wasn’t 100-per-cent sure where to go. So, they looked after him which was really nice.”
Back in Montreal, there’s an ex-Celtic favourite looking after Johnston’s old residence. The 23-year-old leaned heavily on the advice of Victor Wanyama before deciding Parkhead was his ideal next destination, and the pair remain in regular contact.
The Kenyan midfielder – forever etched in Parkhead folklore with a famous Champions League goal against Barcelona in 2012 – is still ‘banging the Celtic drum’ on the other side of the world. As well as offering advice in areas such as how to turn on the washing machine and how to operate the tumble dryer, Johnston has also sorted his mate out with a subscription to Celtic TV.
He says the watching Wanyama has been mightily impressed by the football his old team are playing under Ange Postecoglou, and the defender wants to get him back to Celtic Park to witness it first-hand some time in the not-so-distant future.
“I hear from him all the time,” Johnston said. “He actually moved into my apartment, so he’s texting me all the time and asking me things like ‘How do you turn on the washer, the dryer?’
“But he’s been really happy for me and he still reaches out. I’m trying to get him out to a match this next year, whenever Montreal’s season finishes.
“He’s a legend, he’s one of the ones who got me here and from what I’ve been told, and what I’ve seen on social media, the fans still hold him in a high regard, which is nice.
“He’s a great guy, a great human being and he represents this football club like no other. He can bang the Celtic drum no matter where he is — and he has done all across the world.
“I think he’d been a great ambassador to come back and get that love again from the fans. I’ve been harping on at him, saying he’s got to get himself back here. He’s been following all the matches with his Celtic TV account.
“He tells me we’ve been playing really good football and he’s been impressed.”
