Celtic right-back Alistair Johnston spoke to the media today ahead of Celtic’s Champions League knockout playoff first leg encounter against Bayern Munich on Wednesday night…
Q: How much are you looking forward to this big Champions League tie on Wednesday?
Alistair Johnston: “Yeah, as soon as we got through the league phase and we knew we had qualified, it was funny, as we got into the Villa changing room and realised that we were going to get Real Madrid or Bayern and that was pretty exciting. Then to see our name get pulled against Bayern Munich, it was going to be a special, special match. Again, it is one of those ones where you are excited just to be a part of and say that you’re going to have a chance to be out there because I think that we all can agree that Celtic Park is going to be rocking. Now it’s up to us to go out there and, you know, give those fans something to cheer for. We’re all super excited about it. It’s a massive tie and a great chance for us to go and show not only the rest of Europe but the rest of the world what we’re all about as a team. It’s an exciting opportunity for us.”
Q: I was going to say you could be coming up against an international teammate, but I think Alphonso Davies might be injured. Have you spoken to him in the lead-up to this at all?
Alistair Johnston: “Yeah, we talked a little bit. Yeah, I’m not expecting him, especially for the first leg. We’ll see for the second leg. But, no, it is probably a positive for us. At the same time, again, their squad’s so deep. Raphael Guerreiro’s been playing at left back in the meantime and he’s been a top, top player again for them and has been for the past decade or so.
“So, it’s one of those, you look at their squad and just look at players of Phonzy’s quality. I’ve trained against him and played with him for our national team plenty of times and it’s a different level. He’s truly a world-class player. I think he was in the world’s best 11 when he was 19 years old and he’s a Champions League winner and Bundesliga winner multiple times. You just see his level in training, and you realise they have 18 more guys like that. It’s going to be difficult. It’s something that, again, we’re mentally preparing for.
“We know it’s not going to be an easy task, but it’s something that, yeah, we’re excited about. For me, it is a chance to play against a fellow Canadian at this level which is pretty rare for us. I’m hoping that he’s going to be fit, then, for the second leg so that we can go at it against each other.”
Q: Is it quite obvious in international training when you talk about him being that, stepping up that level when you see him up close, playing with him, playing against him in training? Is it just quite clear as to how good he is and how good that level is?
Alistair Johnston: “Yeah, I think, instantly, just the eye test right away, you go up and you stand beside these guys. It’s been similar when you play against the top Premier League teams. When we played against Borussia Dortmund and things like that. You’re in the tunnel and just the size of these guys, the presence they have. They are some of the best athletes in the world. You go up against that and can see the level, okay, that’s different.
“Phonzy instantly is like that just in terms of his physicality, just his physical traits are unbelievable. Then you match in how quick his feet are and, you know, how he sees the game. He’s been at Bayern now for kind of to get close to maybe six or seven years. He’s been in that kind of environment for that long and turning against the top, top players in the world. You know, just his footballing IQ and everything.
“I’ve always been impressed by training with him and just seeing the game through, you know, his eyes. And again, as a fellow fullback, you know, I like to lean on him and see kind of what he’s doing. I’ve experienced it. I mean, I see teams will double-team him nearly. He’s a left-back for our national team. It’s unheard of. When we play games in CONCACAF, they’ll do that. Often times, they’ll send their best winger onto my side. So I get that.
“It’s just like it’s a mis-match against Phonzy, so they try and pick on me instead. It’s something that comes with the territory. He’s a super-talented player and that’s what Bayern Munich is all about. They’re going to have a lot of those players. So, we’re ready for that.”
