Alistair Johnston isn’t the type of player to lose his focus. And as Celtic enter the final stretch of their SPFL campaign, his eyes are fixed firmly on the prizes.

A Premiership title and Scottish Cup are still up for grabs and the Canadian has got used to winning since he arrived in Glasgow. So he’s unlikely to get distracted in the run-in. But this time maybe Johnston could be forgiven for letting his mind drift towards the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta this summer. After all, he has the small matter of Lionel Messi and the World Cup holders waiting for him on June 21.

And having never faced the greatest player to walk the earth before in his career, it would be easy for Johnston to get side-tracked. He’ll play for Canada in the opening game of the 2024 Copa America against Argentina in front of 80,000 Messi fanatics. For Johnston – and his whole country – it’s going to be an incredible occasion to kick off the tournament.

And he has been well warned about the difficulty of keeping tabs on Inter Miami’s Argentine icon. Johnston said: “It’s exciting, isn’t it? We’ve got Argentina in the first game, which is great. But I’m kinda hoping Messi stays on the other side of the pitch! The tournament is in America but it will be 99 per cent full of Messi jerseys, so that’ll be fun. It’s the first game of the tournament so I think they’re expecting Messi to put on a show.

“That’s why they’ve made it the first game. And yeah, it’s my job as a defender to hopefully try and quieten that down. But we’ll be ready for 80,000 fans screaming his name.

“I’ve seen it already in the MLS, just how mental it is over there, and it’ll be no different in Atlanta. I have never played against Messi before but I have a couple of friends who have and they say it’s a joy!

“He looks like he’s just walking about on the pitch so you turn your head for a second. You lose the ball, you turn your head back and he’s gone! But that whole Argentina team are extremely talented. You don’t win a World Cup with just one player.”

Canada qualified for the Copa America with a play-off win over Trinidad and Tobago last week. Their reward is what looks like a group of death against Argentina, Chile and Peru.

But for Johnston it’s yet another progressive step for a country where football isn’t the No.1 sport – but which now boasts top players like himself, Bayern Munich superstar Alphonso Davies and Lille striker Jonathan David. The Celtic right-back said: “When you look at our player pool, we should be qualifying for these tournaments.

“We should be one of the top-three teams in our region every year now. But we need to back that up so it’s exciting to reach a Copa America off the back of a World Cup.

“We’re hosting the 2026 World Cup so it’s important to be at tournaments like this. In Canada, football is probably the most played sport in terms of numbers.

“But when you don’t have a massive league in your own back yard or international success, it’s tough. Basketball has risen in the past couple of years with Toronto Raptors winning a championship and there’s ice-hockey too.

“But I think we’re slowly starting to turn heads. Canada is funny – a lot of people will cheer for Italy first then Canada second.

“We have to change that. You’d never see that in Scotland, where people cheer for the team where your grand-parents are from instead of where you have been born and raised. That’s a barrier we definitely have to cross.”

Even if Johnston & Co were to win the Copa America this summer, the 25-year-old still wouldn’t get the kinf of adulation he receives in Glasgow. After being recruited by former Hoops boss Ange Postecoglou, he’s been consistently impressive and is now a key part of Brendan Rodgers ’ side.

And he loves the goldfish bowl environment he’s now in compared to what he’s used to in Canada. Johnston said: “I get recognised more here than in Toronto.

“When I first got here, one of the admin people at Celtic asked me if it was comparable. But as I flew in I realised there probably isn’t a building above five storeys here!

“So it’s a bit different, I’m not sure he knew how big Toronto is. It’s definitely a different feeling here. Even the big hockey players back home get around pretty easily. Glasgow is a different beast, altogether. Here, it’s hilarious because it’s grandmas who point me out.

“I’m like: ‘How do you even know me?’ The passion runs deep here. It’s such a football-driven and football-mad country and city. That’s very different from back home in Canada.”

Chris Sutton questions SFA treatment of Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers compared to Clement & company

After facing Hearts at Tynecastle, Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers didn’t say anything about Scottish refereeing and the use of VAR that wasn’t true.

The roll-out of the technology and the interpretation of rules have been a bit of a shambles and wildly inconsistent.

Managers, pundits and supporters up and down the country have had their say over the last couple of seasons and some of the criticism has been pretty sharp.

Rodgers was forthright with his comments about John Beaton and Don Robertson, naming them and suggesting there was incompetence in their officiating – but why did the Scottish FA choose to pull up the Celtic boss and not others?

As we discussed yesterday, Celtic’s legal team in the Hampden hearing on Thursday pointed out multiple instances of other Scottish Premiership managers similarly criticising refereeing – comments that were not subsequently picked up on by the SFA’s compliance officer.

Chris Sutton on Brendan Rodgers ban

Sutton has now questioned the SFA’s stance, stating today [Daily Record, 30/03 print edition]: “As soon as he said the word ‘incompetence’ and named VAR official John Beaton along with Don Robertson, we all knew he was in bother and a ban would be inevitable under the rules. But I just wonder how come no other manager has copped it this season?

“Pretty much all of them have been critical of VAR or referees. I’ve seen strong stuff from Derek McInnes, Steven Naismith, Stuart Kettlewell has recently gone to town and Philippe Clement has taken the odd pop. Neil Warnock was only here a few weeks and moaned about it after most games.

“None of those guys ended up in the dock. It seems it’s okay to infer officials are incompetent – but you can’t actually say it. Rodgers just said what they are all thinking – what most of us are thinking. In courts you can’t get done for defamation if what you say is true.

“But it doesn’t seem to work that way in the SFA legal system. Even if the officials were incompetent you’re not allowed to say it. Rodgers will take his slap on the wrists but for everyone’s sake I hope the people in charge take note and raise their game.”

Refereeing standards correctly called out by Brendan Rodgers

Rodgers reiterated yesterday that in raising recent issues he is hoping that standards can be raised in the refereeing department at Hampden, for the good of Scottish football.

The Scottish FA itself has acknowledged there have been issues and will conduct a review once Crawford Allan steps down from his post as head of the refereeing department at the end of the season.

A one-match touchline ban given to Rodgers is worth it for Celtic to keep these issues in the public eye. It would be one thing if truth wasn’t being spoken but the Bhoys boss was spot on with everything he said on this – within the rules or not.

Brendan Rodgers “Disappointed” By SFA Verdict But Has No Regrets

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has admitted his disappointment at the verdict of his SFA hearing yesterday.

The boss will be in the stand at the Tony Macaroni Arena, but is free to take charge from the technical area at Ibrox.

Although this comes as somewhat of a win, Rodgers has admitted his and the club’s disheartenment at the result of the trial. He said: [Sky Sports] “We’re obviously disappointed with the outcome however we respect the decision.

“My thanks go to the club for their unwavering support in helping us fight it but like I say, we respect the decision and move on.”

When asked if he has any regrets over his comments after the Hearts loss, Rodgers said: “No. I think there’s just a misunderstanding of interpretation, really.

“In all my time when I’ve been in Scotland, I’ve always talked about standards, to improve standards.

“My whole drive always up here has been about the standards and I just felt that on that day, it wasn’t quite where we’d want it to be.

“Certainly, I had no regrets over it [comments], no.”

Sunday will be the first time Rodgers will have been in the stands as a manager. It will be a strange experience, but at Livingston, he is not too far away from the pitch.

Although his lack of presence in the dugout may make a difference, as long as the Hoops come away with three points, fans will be content.

Winning at this stage of the campaign is all that matters and if the Celts are victorious in their next eight league matches, they will be champions again come May.

As he prepares to go, Jeremie Frimpong is questioned about his windfall from Celtic.

Jeremie Frimpong could earn Celtic a pretty penny this summer if he seals a transfer away from Leverkusen.

The right-back, 23, has gone from strength to strength since quitting Parkhead for the Bundesliga three years ago and is now one of the hottest properties in world football. A big-money return to England, where he started out in Manchester City’s academy, could be in the offing with several sides reportedly interested.

Around £11million was added to the Hoops’ coffers at the time of the transfer but there was also a sell-on clause inserted in the deal, believed to be around 30 per cent. That means a multi-million transfer this summer would land Celts another significant windfall.

Frimpong and his Leverkusen teammates are currently honing in on the Bundesliga title, ten points clear of Bayern with eight games to play. He insists he is thinking only of that and has laughed off the question of whether he could be earning his old club even more dosh.

He said: “I don’t know about that! I feel if you are playing well in football there is always talk about where someone might go next, or if they are going to stay.

“I’m so focused on Leverkusen and the competitions we are still competing for. I’m very hopeful we can win them. It’s an exciting time for my club. It’s going to be difficult with eight games to go but it’s full gas until the end of the season.”

The Dutchman was part of the Netherlands side which thumped Scotland 4-0 on Friday night and he was chuffed to be able to catch up with some former teammates on the night.

Frimpong added: “It was great to see some familiar faces. It was nice to speak to Ryan Christie, Craig Gordon, Tony Ralston and Greg Taylor. It was nice to talk about the old times and the success we had. I know a few of them have left the club as well, but some are still there. I still look to see how they’re doing and I believe they can come strong for a successful end to the season.

“Guys like Callum are still there. When I was at the club we had Scott Brown as our leader. But Callum was right up there with him. We had a few big players in that dressing room and they were an inspiration to me. I was new to it all and it was great to see how professional they were. They took me in, gave me advice – they were excellent, on and off the pitch.”

How the Celtic dressing room reacted to Joe Hart bombshell as burning ambition revealed

Stephen Welsh admits the Celtic squad was stunned when Joe Hart dropped the bombshell news he was hanging up his gloves at the end of the season.

But the defender revealed the Hoops dressing room is determined to pocket a couple more winners’ medals to give the keeper the perfect send off. Hart has been one of Brendan Rodgers’ star performers for Celts this season during a campaign that’s been a struggle at times with injuries to key players and departures of big names.

The 36-year-old’s revelation he was calling it a day came as a shock amid a run of matches when the former England hero was making crucial saves to keep the Hoops in the title hunt. Hart wanted to make the call public to remove any distraction from the battle for the Premiership and while the clock is now ticking, the shot stopper’s performance levels have remained high.

Welsh admitted the news was a major blow because the Three Lions legend is a colossal presence at the club. He said: “When the news came out when he said that he was retiring, we were all a wee bit gutted, to be honest. Joe has been an absolute revelation for us. Honestly.

“Since he has come into the club, people have seen it on the pitch, but off the pitch he’s been probably a role model for young boys, lads like me. Having Harty behind me, you feel secure. Some of the saves he pulls off and anything with stuff on the pitch and off it, he’s a massive help to us.”

Welsh now wants to return the favour – by adding to Hart’s impressive medal haul. There’s a long list of established English Premier League stars coming to Scotland in the twilights of their careers and looking more interested in topping up their pensions than their honours list.

But Hart – who completed a clean sweep of silverware in his time with Man City – has launched himself into life in Scotland. The keeper was one of Ange Postecoglou’s first singings in 2021 and he became one of the major driving forces as the Aussie scooped five trophies out of six before heading to Spurs down south.

Hart continued to be the main man under Brendan Rodgers and despite the disappointment of losing out on the League Cup, Welsh is out to make sure the No.1 has another couple of gongs for his collection with the Premiership and Scottish Cup up for grabs.

The centre back said: “Exactly. Harty has obviously won plenty of trophies in his time and, hopefully, I would imagine that he will want to go out on a high. But, as I have said previously, we are only looking at the games that we can control and that we can go and win.”

Welsh knows Hart will have a huge say as well as one of the generals in the Hoops dressing room alongside skipper Callum McGregor. He said: “Yes, definitely. He can get after us as well. If we’re slacking off a wee bit, he’s the first person to get us up for it and he’s the first person to praise you for something, too. He’s been great for us.”

It’s been a season of transition at Celtic Park with Rodgers returning and the squad evolving. Welsh has seen his role change as well, as he’s no longer the new kid on the block.

Instead he admitted his job is to help the next batch of Hoops youngsters coming through the ranks like he did. Welsh had the likes of Callum McGregor, James Forrest and Kieran Tierney for inspiration. And he will be on hand to help emerging talents such as Daniel Kelly and Rocco Vata, who are banging on the first team door.

He said: “I was 24 not long ago, they’re making me feel old! Having good experience in the team as well as youth is a good combination. I still feel like one of the young players, there are a few older boys!

“But when there are a few younger players coming through you need to make them feel welcome and make sure they are up to the standards in training as well. From what I can see, the lads have been really good.

“We’ve all been through the same process, coming in really young and going through the school. Then the hard work starts when you are 18, 19 and trying to break into the first team, that’s the hardest point.”

Rodgers hasn’t been afraid to chuck the kids in, with Kelly in particular making the most of his chance. And at one point in the Scottish Cup clash against Buckie back in January, Celtic had five players on the pitch who all went to the same school. Welsh came through the St Ninian’s academy link up, along with Anthony Ralston, Mikey Johnston, Kelly and Vata.

The centre half said: “It’s always good to have the youth players on, that is what the club is based on as well, promoting young players to eventually become Champions League players. For all five of us to come on and do that was great, and it’s great for the club and the system as well. It shows that there is a pathway through from young players.

“Callum, James and KT were probably the players that I looked up to when they broke through, and now it’s me, Tony Ralston and Mikey Johnston that are the next few to break through. It’s about just building on that every three or four years, can we get as many youth players up to train with the squad as possible?

“The squad is a bit bigger just now, so the opportunities might be a bit fewer and farther between, but there are lads like DK (Daniel Kelly). He’s earned that through hard work and performing well in training.”

Pundit Names Angus Gunn as a Potential Celtic Transfer Option

In light of Joe Hart’s upcoming retirement, Celtic are in the hunt for a new number one to join the club this summer.

Brendan Rodgers needs a goalkeeper to take the reigns from the Englishman who, throughout his spell at the Hoops, has been nothing but reliable.

Whoever comes through the door this summer has big gloves to fill and already, the Scottish champions have been linked with RKC Waalwijk stopper Etienne Vaesson. Urgucan Cakir of Trabzonspor is another name that has been mentioned, but Angus Gunn has recently surfaced.

The Scotland number one was dependable between the sticks for Steve Clarke throughout the recent Euro 2024 qualifying campaign and on Monday’s Go Radio football show, Barry Ferguson was encouraged by the suggestion of a potential move for Gunn to the green half of Glasgow.

The pundit was asked about it live on air: “It’s a good shout”, he said.

“He’s a good goalkeeper and he’s playing at a good level down there. But it will all depend if they do get into the playoffs and get into the Premier League because there’s no way it’s going to cross his mind to leave Norwich.

“But if they don’t get promoted then I think it could be one that Celtic would certainly look at because he’s a very good goalkeeper.”

Although signing a new number one is a priority for The Bhoys, it is an acquisition that time and accuracy need to be placed into.

Goalkeeper is one of the most pivotal positions on the pitch and whoever comes in to take Hart’s gloves will have high expectations from the word go.

Ex-Republic of Ireland boss Stephen Kenny explains why Adam Idah is pivotal for Celtic

Celtic managed to bolster their forward line late on in the January transfer window by bringing Adam Idah in on loan from Norwich City.

The Republic of Ireland international wasn’t a universally popular signing among the Parkhead faithful, considering that his short-term agreement does not include an option to buy.

Nevertheless, the 23-year-old has had a marked impact at Parkhead, registering five goals and one assist in his opening nine appearances [Transfermarkt].

With his side in the midst of a Scottish Premiership title race, Idah has produced some late heroics against Hibernian and Motherwell since joining, which stopped Brendan Rodgers’ reigning champions from falling even further behind.

Offering variety in the final third, Idah has played on his own or as part of a front two in attack with Kyogo Furuhashi, and will take valuable experience from his period as a Celtic player into his future career.

Reports in Ireland indicated earlier this year that the Hoops may be able to land the Cork-born man for a fee in the region of £3 million.

It remains to be seen whether Celtic will carry out any advances to secure his signature permanently, with Rodgers likely to assess his squad in the summer before making any final decisions on players.

Stephen Kenny speaks about Celtic loanee Adam Idah

Former Republic of Ireland boss Stephen Kenny has extensive experience working with Idah in both the Boys in Green’s senior and Under-21 set-up and is only too familiar with his ability and potential.

The 52-year-old has shed some light on why he believes Rodgers is the perfect manager for Idah at this stage of his career; meanwhile, Kenny has also elaborated on why he believes the striker’s contribution could end up being pivotal come the end of the season.

Kenny stated [The Celtic Way]: “He can only enhance the Celtic forward line and contribute positively in terms of his goals. He has shown that he can lead the Celtic attack and play with or without Kyogo Furuhashi in the team.

He later added: “It is a different style of football for Adam and he will know that from turning out against Scottish teams who play with a low block and where space is limited. He likes to open his legs and exploit space but he will have had to adapt to the fact that sometimes in Scottish Premiership games that space won’t be there.

“Tactically under Brendan, I know he will be getting the work put into his game for him to progress again. That is one of Brendan’s key strengths and whatever happens to Adam at the end of his loan spell he will certainly be a better player for it.

Finishing up on why he thinks Idah could prove crucial for Celtic, Kenny said: “The title will be won by a minimal amount of points. The league flag will be decided by fine margins and that is why the goals that Adam scores for Celtic will be a major contributory factor come the end of the season.

“The late winners against Hibs at Easter Road and Motherwell at Fir Park may turn out to be critical for Celtic in terms of the title race and as they could be the difference.”

Idah has added a different dynamic to Celtic’s forward line

Idah is a completely different profile of striker to the likes of Furuhashi, and he has helped to add some physicality and running power to the Celtic forward line.

Whether his stay ends up being a short-term one or otherwise, the Irishman hasn’t looked out of place at Parkhead and has earned the respect of supporters who were once sceptical surrounding his arrival.

Hopefully, the 23-year-old can continue his rich vein of form before we see where his future lies come the summer.

Brian Dempsey to speak out on Fergus McCann’s Celtic takeover

Brian Dempsey has joined the cast list at The Celtic Exchange to share his views on the 30th anniversary of Fergus McCann’s takeover of Celtic.

Then in his forties, the Glasgow based property developer had been appointed to the Celtic board in 1990 but when it came to the AGM to ratify his appointment Michael Kelly and Chris White ensured that his place wasn’t confirmed.

As Celtic’s fortunes nose-dived on the park with debt creeping dangerously high others started to look at ways to replace the Kelly and White dynasty that had been in control of Celtic since the early days of the century.

The charismatic Dempsey formed an alliance with McCann, most of the media commentary came from Dempsey who stood on the steps of Celtic Park to declare that the rebels had won.

The alliance between the two men never survived very long, both have different versions of events with Dempsey fairly critical of some of the decisions taken by McCann as he forged a new business model with 51% of the club shares.

During international week the content from The Celtic Exchange has been priceless. A traditional documentary would only have skimmed the surface but with six, so far, hour long interviews most of the main characters have been able to share their stories, recollections and reflections leaving the viewer with a fuller picture of the most turbulent times in Celtic’s history.