Published Aug 1, 2026, 7:15 AM GMT+1

Tom is a football journalist with five years of experience. He has been featured in the Non-League Paper, Crawley Observer, Sussex Express and The RedmenTV - producing features, news and conducting interviews.

For Football FanCast, Tom has sat down with a number of names from the industry, including Ally McCoist, Philippe Senderos and Chris Waddle. Elsewhere, he has covered the National League South final, the Formula E London Prix, Crawley Town and Brighton’s U21s.

Tom enjoys writing features about teams in the Football League and Premier League, whilst also receiving the opportunity to conduct interviews on behalf of FFC.

Having written for The RedmenTV, he is particularly an expert on all things Liverpool.

It's no secret, however, that they're looking to change that and although names like Takehiro Tomiyasu have been mentioned, Alistair Johnston now looks like the top target on Merseyside.

Whilst Johnston's numbers can only be looked at in a small dose from last season thanks to his injury issues, it's clear that he'd be an upgrade on O'Brien.

When fit, the Canada international, who featured at the World Cup for his country, made 2.51 tackles per game and maintained a 68% duel success — more than O'Brien.

There is no question of quality. Instead, there are question marks about his injury history. By the time that last season came to an end, Johnston had missed a staggering 57 games through hamstring injuries.

It's a worrying sign for Everton, who would be signing a player who should be at the peak of his powers at 27 years old. Alas, the last thing they need is for their right-back solution to spend the majority of his time at the club on the sidelines.

Martin O'Neill confirms Everton's Alistair Johnston move

Martin O'Neill has often been refreshingly open about transfer business since returning to Celtic last season and his most recent press conference was no different. He confirmed the news that Everton have launched an approach to sign Johnston ahead of next season.

The ball is now in Everton's court. Whether they turn their contact into an offer remains to be seen, however. They've certainly got plenty to consider.

Johnston would be a cut above the current options at the Hill Dickinson, but last season's hamstring problems should ring plenty of alarm bells.

REUTERS/Kirby Lee

There will also be a question about whether those problems will prevent the Canadian from becoming a long-term solution on Merseyside. Everton are very much looking for their next Coleman these days and that requires consistency.

Johnston has been a winner at Celtic and showcased his ability on the biggest stage with Canada this summer, but only time will tell whether that's enough for a Premier League move.