Good things come to those who wait, so goes the age-old adage.

Someone really ought to relay that message to Celtic full-back Alistair Johnston, a man whose winning streak over the last 18 months has delivered more hits than a trending Google search.

As fate would have it, the global search engine played an integral role in the Canadian's personal life this summer, when he was browsing for romantic spots suitable for popping the question to his girlfriend.

Turnberry was where his scrolling finger landed, and, much to his delight, his partner said yes.

"I was looking at places to do it and so many guys had recommended different spots within Scotland. I found that one on Google images actually, flipping through.

"When I saw the backdrop, I thought it was lovely and it will always be a reminder of our time together in Scotland.

"No matter where we go for the rest of our lives, Scotland will be a special place for us.

"I have been here for 18 months now but it feels a lot longer because so much has happened. We love it here and it's been a great time, on and off the pitch."

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Now with a loving fiancé - whose affection he competes for with their adorable Labrador - Johnston's life away from the game indeed appears settled.

The 25-year-old's professional life isn't too shabby either, of course. As if reaching the semi-final of this summer's Copa America with Canada wasn't enough, Johnston was also named in the tournament's best XI alongside the likes of Lionel Messi, Leandro Martinez and Manchester United target Manuel Ugarte.

On the domestic front, the defender has secured an impressive five trophies since moving to Glasgow last January, and he now sets his sights on more in the season ahead.

If good things come to those who wait, Johnston is an idiomatic anomaly.

The season ahead kicks off this afternoon against Kilmarnock at Celtic Park, when the indomitable Lisbon Lion Jim Craig will unfurl the league flag on the centre of the pitch before kick-off.

"We are in a good place and we are getting better," said Johnston. "That comes with time, learning the system under the new manager and feeling more and more comfortable with it.

"You saw that under the previous manager as well, going into the second season. You saw the level that everyone took up and how the team played.

"Within this building, we're expecting to have a similar step. Last season we were winning games, while sometimes looking a little cagey. Hopefully, this time we can really stomp down our foot and show our authority in games, because that's what we are.

"That's what we can be. We have enough talent and quality in this changing room to do that. We're all excited by that and the results we got in pre-season backed up our progress."

Fans, critics and even the Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers have all acknowledged it: there can be no hard and fast conclusions drawn from preseason encounters. Still, facing off against the likes of Raheem Sterling and Erling Haaland – and, even better, coming out on top – no matter the nature of the contest, isn't without its merits.

It may or may not offer a glimpse into the future as the Parkhead side stare down this year's newly-formatted Champions League, time will invariably tell.

But with the promise of in-roads in Europe still high on the manager's list of priorities – first whispered in July last year; echoed and underlined during his pre-match press conference ahead of today's game – daring to dream on club football's biggest stage is a sentiment shared throughout the Celtic dressing room.

Johnston, true to every part of the character he's shown Celtic fans so far, is one figurehead leading that charge.

"This is a really big year for us in terms of taking that next step, not only domestically, but in Europe as well," he said. "It's going to be an unbelievable opportunity with this new set up with the Champions League being a minimum of eight group stage matches, if you want to call it a group stage.

"It's going to give us multiple opportunities to play at the biggest stage in club football and show that we belong. Man City and Chelsea saw that we can compete in the friendly games.

"I think that's opened the eyes of some people. If we can keep that form going and continue to build on that, we really can make some noise in Europe."

With the broader picture in mind, Johnston reckons Champions League football offers huge pull for incoming players – as does the allure of winning silverware on an annual basis, all going to plan.

One player clearly impressed after sampling the highs of European football and lifting trophies in green and white was Paulo Bernardo – so much so, that the Portuguese midfielder committed the next five years of his career to Celtic in midweek.

On reuniting with his one-time temporary colleague, Johnston added: "Paulo is a great guy. Super chilled. Portuguese to a tee in that sense. We're excited to have him back again because he's a quality player.

"Last season, he scored some pretty big goals in some pretty big matches. I can remember the one at home at Celtic Park against Rangers. Also in the cup final he set up [Adam Idah's] winner.

"He was a bit of an unsung hero at Hampden that day because his shot was too hot to handle and we won from it. Paulo came up big for us in a lot of big moments.

"He's still a young player and he's got plenty of growth still in his game. We're excited that he's going to be spending the next five years here with us. It's a really positive sign."

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Another positive sign for Celtic would be kicking off the defence of their Scottish Premiership title with a win today against Kilmarnock.

Derek McInnes' side suffered defeat in their UEFA Europa League second qualifying round second-leg against Cercle Brugge on the road on Thursday (1-0 on the night; 2-1 on aggregate), and having last been on the losing end of a 5-0 drubbing against today's hosts on home soil, the Ayrshire outfit will be keen to reverse two recent blows of disappointment.

With the utmost respect to his opponents, Johnston naturally pines for a different outcome, and, true to form, cannot wait to get stuck in from the first to the final whistle.

He added: "We know the emotion behind the day with the championship flag being unfurled and Kilmarnock were a bit of thorn in our side last term.

"They are a good team that's very well set up. The manager does a great job with that.

"It won't be an easy three points but we want an enjoyable flag day at all. We're preparing for that mentally and physically.

"We want to feed off of the crowd's energy. It's an exciting day when you know there's so much positive energy there and you want to start your season off the right way.

"It's a great opportunity for us. We know that they're not going to make it easy but at the same time, it's a great chance.

"You're starting at home with positive momentum and you want to start the season on the right foot."