A solid French, a contagious smile, a real desire to integrate into Wilfried Nancy’s project and the pleasure of coming back to live in Montreal. From the first moments of his press conference on Thursday, there was already no doubt that Alistair Johnston would become one of the favorites for CF Montreal fans this season.
“When I learned that I was traded in Montreal, my first reaction was to be very enthusiastic! », He launches in videoconference, in a tone corroborating his point.
“It’s a very promising team,” he adds. A lot of the players are very young. […] I think they play a very nice style. ”
The youth of CF Montreal stands in stark contrast to his former team of Nashville SC, of which he was one of the youngest players.
“Here I’m looking at the defensive line and I’m potentially one of the older guys,” laughs the 23-year-old defenseman. I can’t even grow a beard yet! ”
Alistair Johnston, a Canadian international, was acquired from Nashville SC last Tuesday. Olivier Renard, sports director of the CFM, has untied the purse strings to extricate it from the clutches of the Tennessee club: a total of one million dollars in general allowance will be paid to him over the next two years ( $ 750,000 in 2022, $ 250,000 in 2023).
For Alistair Johnston, the value of his transfer reflects the real desire on the part of CF Montreal to have him in its ranks. And the feeling is shared.
“Montreal was very persuasive and put several offers on the table, until Nashville could no longer refuse,” he explains in English, his first language. It shows how much Montreal appreciated me. They have proven that they really want me. I was their priority during the offseason, and they got their job done.
“That there is a club that wants me so much, that proves that people believe in me. It’s exciting for the season. ”
His words are corroborated by Vassili Cremanzidis, Olivier Renard’s assistant at CF Montreal. After the departures of Rudy Camacho and Aljaž Struna on the defensive hinge, it had to be replenished.
“We had a list of three or four players, but Alistair was the first name on this list,” he explains on the phone. We contacted Nashville. At first, and until the end, they didn’t want to trade it. […] We always came back to Nashville with an increased offer, then another. At the end, they said their price and we matched it. It was always on condition that the player had a new contract. ”
Johnston comes to Montreal with a four-year pact in his pocket, that is until 2023, with two option years in 2024 and 2025.
“You don’t want to pay a million dollars without being sure you have a player with you,” Cremanzidis emphasizes.
” The circle is complete ”
Alistair Johnston’s “enthusiasm” for this new adventure is evident. In videoconference, he revealed that CF Montreal was “one of his favorite teams to watch last season”.
It is also a certain return to the fold for the Canadian international. Born in Vancouver, he lived in Montreal from the age of 4 to 7 before settling in Ontario, where his parents made him take immersion courses to keep him in touch with the French language. However, it was in the Quebec metropolis that he kicked a soccer ball for the first time.
“I started playing football at Lakeshore,” said the defender. The circle is complete ! I started in Montreal, and I’m back in Montreal. ”
My family is super happy. […] It was difficult for my parents to come to me when I was in Nashville because of the pandemic, and I have only played two games in Canada in the past two years. It will be easier for them to come to the games. I know they’ll be happy to wear blue when they go to the games in Toronto!
Alistair johnston
Here, Toronto. Asked about the rivalry between the two metropolises, Johnston made sure to stoke it well… and to please Montreal fans.
“The Toronto FC Academy has always ignored me because they said I was too small,” he laughs. So, to be honest, I’m not Toronto’s biggest fan. I bet Montreal fans will be happy to hear that! ”
Canadian reunion
Alistair Johnston is a right-back, and can play in a three-way defense. He even compares his rugged game to that of a hockey player. His flexibility in defense should fit in perfectly with Wilfried Nancy’s system.
What’s more, he meets in Montreal his compatriot and colleague at the ramparts of Canada Kamal Miller, goalkeeper James Pantemis as well as defensive midfielder Samuel Piette.
The latter, “one of [ses] good friends, ”was the first person to hear the news first.
“He was so excited! he exclaims. He told me everything, where to settle in Montreal, etc. ”
Reached by text, Samuel Piette adds.
“He’s one of my best friends in the national team, despite the fact that I’ve only known him since January! confirms Piette. We clicked right away. We get along very well off the pitch.
“Such a versatile player, very complete, without being flashy, who will get the job done [get the job done], a bit in the same style as me. He is someone with an irreproachable mentality and attitude. A great guy to have in the locker room and on the pitch! ”
His last year, Alistair Johnston considers it a “whirlwind”. He made his debut for the national team in January 2021, playing 18 games in one year. He played 26 games with Nashville, including 24 as a starter, in addition to starting 2 MLS Cup playoff games.
He therefore arrives in Montreal not with the status of a young person having to prove himself, but rather with a certain pressure of performance.
“When I was in Nashville, if I made a mistake, they said to give me time since I was a rookie. […] But now, I am a Canadian international, there has been a large amount of transfer to acquire me. The pressure is building. As a soccer player you want this. ”