ALASTAIR Johnston knows that he will feel a few butterflies fluttering in his stomach when Celtic take to the field at a sold-out Hampden before the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup final against Aberdeen this weekend.
The Parkhead club, whose players were presented with the William Hill Premiership trophy after their 1-1 home draw with St Mirren on Saturday, will complete a world record ninth treble if they prevail.
So the pressure will be well and truly on Callum McGregor and his team mates to perform against their top flight rivals and record another clean sweep of domestic silverware.
Johnston, though, is a veteran of a few cup finals now and is confident that he will be able to cope with the enormity of the occasion and acquit himself well after kick-off.
He envisages being far more nervous when he gets hitched to his long-term partner Peyton Pesavento next month.
Read more:
-
Celtic 1 St Mirren 1: Injury-time James Forrest strike salvages draw for champions
-
Scotland's ultras aren't working class heroes - too many are 'still f****** peasants'
-
It's a nightmare, it's not safe: Trongate residents braced for Celtic title party
“I am getting married in a few weeks, but luckily my missus has done most of the planning,” he said. “We can get the cup final done and then I will have a week to get the speeches ready and everything. That’s sneaking up quick, but we have time to get it sorted.
“We had the stag do after the last cup final (The Premier Sports Cup final against Rangers in December). The lads came here and that was genius. They were probably the most worried people in the whole stadium when the game went to penalties. They were all saying, ‘Please let Daizen [Maeda] score to win it so we can have a great night out’.
“That was the only night of the stag I could go out and they enjoyed it. We had the security out with us and they were getting into rooms they weren’t allowed in for the first few nights! They were saying, ‘This is the treatment you get as a Celtic player! You win cups and doors open up’. But they had a great time.
“Will I be more emotional at Hampden or walking up the aisle? That’s a good question. I will be more emotional walking up the aisle but we will see. Luckily enough, I have had Hampden a few times, but this is one-time only for a wedding.”
Johnston knows that James Forrest, who he set up for an injury-time equaliser against St Mirren on Saturday, and Celtic is a marriage made in heaven.
However, Johnston knows the 33-year-old winger, whose late, late strike meant he has now scored for his boyhood heroes in 16 consecutive seasons, remains desperate to add to his haul and revealed that his enthusiasm is infectious.
“The hunger is still there in the squad,” he said. “Look at James and Cal [McGregor]. They have won 50 trophies between them and are the two hungriest guys around. You can’t, as a younger player with a lot less medals than them, every say, ‘Oh, it’s just another one’.
“We want to win every piece of silverware available and we all have that desire and desperation to do it again on Saturday. We are in a position to do a domestic clean sweep so let’s go and take that chance. If you told me at the start of the season we would be in this position, you’d have taken it.”
Read more:
-
More than a dozen charged following Celtic title celebrations
-
Police condemn ‘mindless act’ after Aberdeen player hit by missile thrown by own fans
-
Lawrence Shankland opens up on Hearts future with contract talks expected
Canadian internationalist Johnston was impressed with the impact that Forrest made when he replaced Nicolas Kuhn in the second half of the St Mirren match and was delighted when the Ayrshireman netted. He envisages the winger having a key role against Aberdeen at Hampden this weekend.
“It’s a fairytale for James,” he said. “The celebration for his goal is some of the best ‘limbs’ I have ever seen! Grown men were nearly in tears at the corner and that summed up how much James means to this club. I was really happy for him.
“It could have been anyone standing there, I would still have passed the ball. But I knew it was James. We have been on him all week - you have to get one. We were telling him to be selfish and even when he came on, I was telling him to hit shots. He took a couple on and you could tell that he was feeling it.
“You could see him in midweek against Aberdeen that he’s had that little bit about him. He had his full-back on toast there. When Luke [McCowan] made the right decision and played the ball to me, it was always going to be a pass.
“I wanted to give something to walk onto, but he still had a lot of work to do. He hit a sweet little 2 iron with some fade on it. He kept it low and out of the wind and it was amazing to see the net ripple. James kissing the badge and running into the corner was genius.
“It’s a moment nobody will forget anytime soon. It was a moment in Celtic history and I have heard so much about how the fans were wanting him to get that goal and continue the record. I have never seen an equaliser celebrated like that in my life.”
Read more:
-
Why Lewis Ferguson's historic Coppa Italia success could extend his stay at Bologna
-
'Depressed' coach hoping Lewis Ferguson convinces managers to give Scots kids games
-
The Brendan Rodgers statement that is set to fuel Lennon Miller to Celtic speculation
Johnston continued, “It’s a bummer that we only drew, but to keep that streak going for 16 seasons is unbelievable. It shows how much he has taken care of himself for over a decade. To score in 16 straight seasons? Oh my gosh!
“James is a shy guy, but we got him out there and got him talking to the fans and lifting the trophy. It was great to see. It’s amazing for him and the club. He just continues to make history and break records. The stats are unbelievable and it’s going to tough to catch him - unless Cal tries to!
“He still provides something to this team and gives us such a different profile on the wing. We have a lot of young players in that position who are direct but maybe lack consistency, which is what happens at that age at a big club.
“But James shows them how to last at a place like Celtic. It’s about consistency and he takes the ball, protects it and makes the right decisions every time. It is really impressive to see him and that is why the gaffer trusts him to come in on big occasions, when things are maybe not going our way.
“You think back towards the end of last season when that was the case. James was probably the first name on the team sheet at that point. He still has a lot to offer and hopefully he will go for 17 in a row next season.”
