It may not have received much attention in Canada this past weekend, but our very own Alistair Johnston accepted the captain’s armband for Glasgow Celtic’s trip to Motherwell.
Usually, the man with the armband for the Bhoys is Callum McGregor, but he was injured for the first time this season, so it was the Canadian full-back — who just four years ago was bossing the pitches in League 1 Ontario — that took on the responsibility of leading one of the most famous and storied clubs in world soccer. The fact that he scored in the 3-0 win was some rather sumptuous gravy!
Sure, he’ll relinquish the captaincy once McGregor returns from injury, and yes he’s technically taken on the role before late in previous matches when McGregor has subbed off. But this is an honour worth recognizing and applauding. Celtic, after all, have had the likes of Billy McNeil, Kenny Dalglish, Paul McStay and Scott Brown all captain the side at one point — absolute legends to a man!
For the Canadian men's national team, it demonstrates that perhaps the squad is in good shape when it comes to on-field leadership in the post-Atiba Hutchinson era.
Under new head coach Jesse Marsch, the Canadian team has put a greater focus on youth. Since he took over in May of this year, Marsch has freshened up not only the squad as a whole, but specifically the starting XI. Not that this was necessarily an aging group of players, but with Hutchinson’s retirement and Milan Borjan and Steven Vitoria’s slow saunter through the twilight of their playing careers post World Cup 2022, the roster had to evolve, as did the team’s leadership.
Much has been said about Alphonso Davies’ captaincy of the national team since he was given it prior to Copa America. Davies is very much the modern-day captain, in that he’s the team’s best player and the face of the program. It is irrelevant whether he is actually the true leader, although the positive results with Davies as captain speak for themselves.
Davies also appears very keen on growing into the role, and although he may not be your typical on-field general who barks out orders and commands respect through presence and intimidation (see Roy Keane, Mark Messier, Richie McCaw), there is a noticeable difference in the Bayern Munich man these days. He is comfortable in the role and represents the badge well.
Of course, it helps that despite the youthful feel to the Canadian squad, there are experienced leaders in their prime to provide direction and order once the whistle blows. Not only does Canada have a man who has captained Celtic, but it has a Champions League-experienced central midfielder in Stephen Eustaquio. The FC Porto man is usually the vocal presence during Canada matches. He seems to have a good relationship with referees and can often be seen in conversation with the official with the whistle. Eustaquio has also captained his country, with interim head coach Mauro Biello giving him the nod prior to Marsch’s arrival.
So while the Moïse Bombitos, Jacob Shaffelburgs and Ali Ahmeds of the squad continue to cut their international teeth, there is a strong leadership group of players who may not be as grizzled as more recent leaders, but these men are here for the long haul and are shaping the identity of the group.
With Johnston a popular choice amongst the faithful at Celtic, the concerns of who will lead Canada through to World Cup 2026 have suddenly been emphatically silenced.
