In the wake of yesterday’s 2-1 win against Hibernian, Celtic goalkeeper Sam Johnstone recounted his experience of a 3-0 loss to Rangers following an extended period on the bench.
Johnstone joined Celtic on loan from Wolves this summer, but has been limited to just three appearances so far, keeping one clean sheet in the process.
Despite going 1-0 down early on yesterday, Celtic ran out 2-1 winners to remain at the helm of the Scottish Premiership.
Johnstone returned to the Celtic side for Thursday night’s defeat to Celta Vigo, but retained his spot for yesterday’s visit to Easter Road. This marked his first appearances since September’s 3-0 loss away to Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-finals. Speaking post-match, Johnstone recounted his experiences of his debut he said: “I’ll never turn down playing. If someone asks me if I want to play it’s not in my nature to be saying it’s tough game or it’s a big game. My mentality is to play and to do my best.
“Obviously a great game to play in, apart from the result. That was what? Six weeks ago? Seven weeks ago? I feel like a different goalkeeper, a different person, just knowing now my teammates and the way we play.”
When asked about what it’s like to make your Celtic debut in the Old-Firm, Johnstone said: “I don’t think anyone can prepare you for that game, especially with no away fans. It was a tough one cause of the result and the size of the game. I’ve never experienced anything like that before in my career.
“Great to play in, the result hurt us, Again, I don’t think anything can prepare you for them games.”
When asked to expand on what’s changed since the Ibrox game, Johnstone said: “I just got a good block of work in. As you know, coming to a new club, the way we play here is different to where I’ve been previously at different clubs, so it’s just a case of getting used to that, getting used to the lads in training, getting used to how we do things. I think this block of training for the last six, seven weeks has really helped me.”
Celtic boss Martin O’Neill branded the win Celtic’s ‘best of the season’, and Johnstone could only agree post-match, he said: “Yeah, course it was. I think every win’s a huge win.
“Like you said, today with the wind, the conditions, they were tough to play against. They obviously scored early doors and put up a fight and that wasn’t an easy game, that was really tough. Like I said, the lads dug in and sometimes you’ve got to do that. It’s not always pretty, and you get the result at the end of it.”
Johnstone was also asked about his relationship with fellow goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo, given their competition for the starting position, he said: “We compete every day, the same as everyone else. Whoever plays has the full support of the other goalkeeper and I’m enjoying playing and being in the team at the moment.
In light of Celtic’s third consecutive loss in the Europa League, the Englishman was also asked about ‘parking’ the European results in light of their relentlessness domestically, Johnstone said: “Like I said, we want to win every game, we go out to win every game, we compete every game. I think once you win, or lose or draw, it’s onto the next one and we go to win that one as well. So I don’t think it’s a case of just concentrating on the league. I think every game we go into, we want to win and once that results done, we move onto the next one.”
Celtic’s next one is a Wednesday night visit from Dundee United, where Johnstone will look to retain his place between the sticks. The league leaders then travel to Falkirk on Sunday in the Scottish Premiership amid missing out on the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals.
