Sam Johnstone joins Celtic on loan from Wolves
Celtic have moved to reinforce one of the most scrutinised positions at the club, securing 33-year-old England international Sam Johnstone on a season-long loan from Wolves, subject to international clearance.
A decade and more in English football comes with him. Manchester United academy graduate. Multiple Premier League campaigns. Four England caps, four clean sheets. Now, a new chapter in Glasgow.
A call from Joe Hart – and a quick decision
Johnstone didn’t need much persuading, but the endorsement he received came from a man whose opinion carries serious weight in these parts.
"It's a great feeling, I'm buzzing to be here and I'm excited to get going," Johnstone told CelticPlayer after completing the move.
"I didn't need convincing by anyone, but Joe Hart rang me the other day just to reiterate what a place this is, what a great group of lads and how the fans are unbelievable.
"Like I said, I didn't need convincing, but for someone like that to ring me up and reiterate again the size of the club and what it means to people, it just made me so excited to get here and get started."
Hart’s call underlined what Johnstone already knew: this is a club where expectation never dips and where goalkeepers are judged on trophies, not just saves.
Experience for a demanding stage
Johnstone arrives to supplement a goalkeeping group that includes Viljami Sinisalo and Ross Doohan, giving Celtic a deeper, more seasoned look between the posts.
He has spent the past two seasons at Wolves, making 17 appearances last term. Before that, a long apprenticeship across English football since his United debut back in 2011 has hardened him to pressure, scrutiny and the relentless grind of top-level competition.
At Celtic, that pressure comes in a different form. Domestic dominance is demanded, not requested. European nights amplify every decision a goalkeeper makes.
Johnstone sounds ready for that.
"You hear about the size of the club, and you know about the size of the club, but just being here for a day, you notice how big the club is," he said.
"And the pressure to win, which is what I like – pressure to win, pressure to perform and we all want to win trophies.
"You hear about the atmosphere at the stadium and that's something I can't wait to play in front of."
Tight-knit union in goal
Behind the back four, Celtic now have a fresh dynamic brewing.
"I think everyone knows the goalie groups are a tight-knit group," Johnstone explained. "We work closely together every day and hopefully I can help Vil and he can help me, and we push each other and we support each other along with the other goalies and the goalie coaches."
That line will please those inside the club. Celtic are not just looking for a shot-stopper; they want a leader in training, a standard-setter, someone who understands that competition and support can coexist in the same six-yard box.
O’Neill’s verdict: “A very good addition”
Manager Martin O'Neill made no attempt to hide his satisfaction at landing a goalkeeper with Johnstone’s pedigree.
"We are really happy to welcome Sam to Celtic," O'Neill said.
"He is a quality keeper with excellent experience at the highest level and I think he will be a very good addition to our goalkeeping team.
"He is really looking forward to joining Celtic, to add competition to our team and we are pleased to bring a goalkeeper of this quality to the club."
The message is clear: this is about raising standards, not simply filling a squad slot.
Johnstone has his chance now. A club that lives on silverware, a support that demands it, and a goalkeeper who says he thrives on that very pressure. The next roar he hears won’t be from Molineux or Wembley – it will be from a packed Celtic Park, waiting to see if England’s clean-sheet specialist can become Celtic’s next trusted last line.
