'Serial winners' helped Celtic clinch title, says Alistair Johnston

Published 16th May 2024

Celtic full-back Alistair Johnston hailed the poise of the club's leaders after coming from behind to clinch a third consecutive cinch Premiership title.

Brendan Rodgers' side fell behind Rangers in mid-February but capitalised on some dropped points from their city rivals in April to finish the season strongly.

A title-clinching 5-0 win at Kilmarnock on Wednesday night made it 22 points from a possible 24, with Celtic now six ahead of Philippe Clement's side ahead of the final weekend of the league season.

"We've got serial winners from top to bottom in this club," Johnston told Celtic TV. "It starts with the gaffer and goes through our leadership in Cal (McGregor), Joe (Hart), James (Forrest).

"Even when it feels like maybe you're not going at 100 per cent, when you just see the calm, the poise, no matter how difficult it looks, that's when you know as a younger player, if you stick to it, stick to the process, focus on it day by day, and you'll get there.

"Because if they were worried then I'd be worried - but they never were. They were always just 'keep a level head, play our football, we have the players and the quality to get over the line'.

"I think you saw over these past couple of months, when it got to the business end of the season we took it to another gear and it showed there - that was a champions' performance."

The 25-year-old Canada international added: "I'm really proud of this group. We stuck with it, we didn't feel nervous, we didn't feel the pressure - and deserved champions."

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