Celtic supporters all have one player that they look up to as either an inspiration or with just genuine appreciation for their talent and what they give or have given to the club.
Over the decades players like Scott Brown, Neil Lennon, Henrik Larsson and even as far back as the Lisbon Lions’ time, have all been elevated to iconic status because of their achievements at the club.
However, it is easy to forget that Celtic players also look up to and have been inspired by their own footballing icons as they made it in the game.
But not for Alistair Johnston. The Hoops defender has shared a non-footballing sporting icon he has looked up to all his life and explains how this now-retired former World Champion reminds him so much of the demands of playing for Celtic.
Celtic hero Alistair Johnston’s ‘serious appreciation’ for tennis icon Roger Federer
Roger Federer has an incredible tennis career where he made 31 major tennis finals picking up 20 titles including eight Wimbledon titles, six Australian Opens, five US Opens and a French Open title.
Now retired, Federer still holds a special place in Alistair Johnston’s heart as he shares why the Swiss tennis player is his all-time sporting icon.
Johnston told The Official Celtic FC Podcast, “Oh, that longevity that he’s had, it’s been unbelievable. And I think you can look at that entire group that came through between him, Rafa [Nadal] and then obviously Novak [Djokovic] coming in a couple of years later. Fair play to Andy Murray as well for how long he’s dragged his career out.
“But again, the longevity that those guys had, and not only just playing, but playing at a really high level, you know, even up to a couple of years ago, just before Roger retired, he would still go into every match and you would be fearful of him.
He just still had that ability to beat anyone on his day. And again, that’s something that as an athlete you look up to and you take a serious appreciation for, especially once you become a pro and you realize not only the physical toll but the mental toll.”
“And you see the amount of travel and the things that go on behind the scenes. I mean, if you’re going deep in tournaments and you’re playing all the way, let’s say for a two-week major, then you’re flying out the next day to go play, you know, the first round kind of the following tournament and it’s in a different continent or something.”
Alistair Johnston says Roger Federer reminds him about the demands of playing for Celtic
“It’s very taxing,” Johnston continued, “So it’s really impressive that those players, both the men and women, are able, you know, to stay at such a high level. And again, it’s a sport where if you’re the number one seed, you’re expected to win.
“It is a massive, massive disappointment if Roger loses, you know, when he was in his prime in a semi-finals of Wimbledon, for example, and imagine losing in the first round or something.
So I got a massive appreciation and I think it correlates well to actually what we have here at Celtic, the pressure to win every match because everyone goes there, whenever you buy tickets to watch him play, for example, especially when he was in his prime, is that you’re going there for him not only to win, but to put on a show.
“And that’s something that I feel adds a lot onto his shoulders and I can kind of understand that as a Celtic player because, you know, we’re expected, you know, not only to win, but to put on a show for our fans.
Alistair Johnston has already had an impressive career at Celtic since he joined the club back in January 2023.
The 26-year-old already has two Scottish Premiership titles, two Scottish Cups and a League Cup to his name which includes Celtic’s record-breaking eighth domestic treble last season.
With 79 Celtic appearances to his name, Johnston might never reach the iconic sporting status that Federer did, but in the eyes of many Hoops supporters, the Canadian international has already achieved hero status amongst the fans.