Alistair Johnston has spoken about life at Celtic after signing a new contract extension until 2029, with the Canadian full-back having developed a lot as a player since joining in January 2023.

Having played for six months under Ange Postecoglou before the Australian departed for Tottenham Hotspur, the Canadian had to adapt to a new role under Brendan Rodgers, who rejoined the Hoops in June 2023.

Johnston said: (Sky Sports), “I’ve developed a tone, honestly. Walking in the door and Ange telling me about how to be an inverted fullback, that was a learning curve.

“Finally, after six months, when I felt I was starting to get the hang of it, he left, and Brendan came in. I was back to being more of a traditional fullback, but still with the license to roll inside.

“It’s definitely been something that I’ve been tested on, both tactically and physically, to push my limits, and that’s something I’ve enjoyed.”

With much made of the difference in how Rodgers uses full-backs in the first six months of his second spell, a year later, the Irishman’s tactical change has paid off in the long term.

For the first half of last season, results were underwhelming, but since both Greg Taylor and Johnston have had time to greater understand the more traditional role under Rodgers, the Hoops have simply gone to a new level, with sensational results in Europe.

Johnston himself has stepped up a gear, adding both goals and assists consistently, and much of this can be attributed to the return of Brendan Rodgers, who, throughout his career, has managed to take players to new levels that at times seemed impossible.