New signing Celtic Alistair Johnston has been compared to Manchester United hero Gary Neville by his former coach.

The 24-year-old became Ange Postecoglou's side's second signing ahead of the opening of the January transfer window.

He put pen to paper on a five-and-a-half-year deal with the Parkhead side.

Johnston's move to the Premiership champions marks another big step-up in a journey that saw him initially come up through the youth ranks at League 1 Ontario side Vaughan SC.

His old boss Patrice Gheisar, who runs the club's high performance programme as well as its first team, has loved watching the right-back's career progress.

And he feels the Canadian international bares a resemblance to the former England international.

Speaking to Football Scotland, he said: "I think if you read Sir Alex Ferguson's book, he always said that one of his most loyal players to him was Gary Neville.

"That if Gary Neville was a second quicker, he would have been one of the top full-backs and that if he was two inches taller, he would have been one of the top centre-backs.

"But in today's world, those kind of players that we call hybrids have become very celebrated, so for me he is a version of Gary Neville - someone extremely reliable and consistent, and someone who can play full-back and centre-back.

Ghiesar also detailed the traits that the 24-year-old has which he feels will help him go to the every top.

He's a coach's dream because that way you can play a back three, you can play a back five," he continued.

"He gives you choices when there are problems, whereas generally when there are problems you have to make substitutions to fix it."

"But in today's world, those kind of players that we call hybrids have become very celebrated, so for me he is a version of Gary Neville - someone extremely reliable and consistent, and someone who can play full-back and centre-back."

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