Why Ange’s Most Impressive Celtic Signing Might Well Be Our Canadian Bhoy.

At the weekend, we saw some great moments from Ange’s attacking signings.

Kyogo got two and has proved himself again to be our big game player who rises to the moment. Jota scored one and showed that he, too, shines on this kind of stage.

All the media coverage of our attacking players is due them.

They have been brilliant. They are the reasons we’re sitting top with a 12-point lead and heading for a second title under Ange. They are the reasons we’re all optimistic about a treble.

The respect we all have for our front men is enormous, of course. But we’re missing a trick here because Ange’s most impressive signing so far might not be a front man at all, but Alastair Johnston, our Canadian right back., who more and more looks like our successor to Kieran Tierney, albeit on the other side of the pitch. Yes, he’s that good.

He reminds me a lot of Tierney. His thirst for battle. His strength on the ball. His athleticism. His will to win. How unshakable he is. This is a kid who made his debut at Ibrox what seemed like five minutes after we signed him.

How the Hell did Ange know he could cope with that pressure? How could the big guy have been so totally convinced by this lad that he gave him such a critical task in such a massive game?

That is beyond just good scouting. That’s real insight.

Look at who Johnston was replacing in the team, on top of that. A player who reached the World Cup semi-final and had a storming competition. Imagine being asked to come into the team and take over from such a player? That brings with it a level of scrutiny which is all its own. And yet Johnston has coped with all of it, and even risen above it.

He already looks like an upgrade on Juranovic, who I think some of us wondered about defensively at times. Johnston does not inspire any of the concerns that the big Croat sometimes did, and I write that as someone who really enjoyed watching him play.

Johnston looks like one of those footballers who could play anywhere.

He has all the tools to be an outstanding talent and I find it particularly amusing when the media is pouring honey on the Ibrox right back because he can take a free kick that we have a player in the same position who is light years ahead of him and is young enough that he’ll get better.

It is amazing that we’ve found such a major talent, and even more amazing that he has the temperament and attitude to slot into this team so completely. The manager knows more than just how to spot a player.

It is something close to genius.