Max Johnston (footballer)

Max Johnston
Personal information
Date of birth (2003-12-26) 26 December 2003[1]
Place of birth Middlesbrough, England
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Right-back
Team information
Current team
 Sturm Graz
Number 2
Youth career
Motherwell
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021–2023 Motherwell 19 (3)
2021–2022 → Queen of the South (loan) 25 (2)
2022 → Cove Rangers (loan) 11 (0)
2023– Sturm Graz 40 (1)
2023 Sturm Graz II 7 (0)
International career‡
2019 Scotland U16[2] 1 (1)
2022– Scotland U19[3] 2 (0)
2022– Scotland U21 10 (1)
2025– Scotland 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 27 April 2025
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22:33, 20 March 2025 (UTC)

Max Johnston (born 26 December 2003) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Austrian Bundesliga side Sturm Graz and the Scotland national team.

Club career

Johnston signed for Motherwell at 12 years old, progressing through the club's academy system,[4] then joining up with the first-team squad ahead of the 2020–21 season.[1] Johnston debuted for the Steelmen on 13 February 2021, as a substitute in the Lanarkshire derby versus Hamilton Academical.[5][6]

On 1 September 2021, Johnston signed for Queen of the South on a season long loan deal, with the former Doonhamers manager being his father Allan.[7] He was then loaned to Cove Rangers in September 2022.[8] After making 10 appearances with Cove, Johnston was recalled on 1 January 2023.[9] He then became a regular in the Motherwell first team, and won the SFWA Young Player of the Year award for 2022–23.[10]

On 25 July 2023, Austrian Bundesliga club Sturm Graz announced the signing of Johnston on a contract until the summer of 2027.[11]

International career

Johnston represented Scotland at under-16 level, scoring on his debut versus Australia in 2019. On 17 March 2022, Johnston was called up late to the Scotland under-19 squad.[12]

He was added to the full Scotland squad for the first time in October 2023, following withdrawals by Aaron Hickey and Andrew Robertson.[13] He made his senior debut on 20 March 2025 as a late substitute for Billy Gilmour in a UEFA Nations League victory over Greece.[14]

Personal life

Johnston's father is former Scotland international Allan, and his uncle Sammy is also a former player.[4]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 24 May 2025[15]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Motherwell 2020–21[16] Scottish Premiership 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – 2 0
2021–22[17] Scottish Premiership 0 0 0 0 0 0 – – 0 0
2022–23[18] Scottish Premiership 17 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 – 19 3
Total 19 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 – 21 3
Queen of the South (loan) 2021–22 Scottish Championship 25 2 2 0 0 0 – 4[c] 1 31 3
Cove Rangers (loan) 2022–23 Scottish Championship 11 0 0 0 0 0 – – 11 0
Sturm Graz 2023–24 Austrian Bundesliga 20 0 2 0 – 7[d] 0 – 29 0
2024–25 Austrian Bundesliga 24 1 2 0 – 5[e] 0 – 31 1
Total 44 1 4 0 0 0 12 0 – 60 1
Sturm Graz II 2023–24 2. Liga 7 0 – – – – 7 0
Career total 106 6 8 0 0 0 12 0 4 1 130 7
  1. ^ Includes Scottish Cup, Austrian Cup
  2. ^ Includes Scottish League Cup
  3. ^ Appearances in Scottish Challenge Cup
  4. ^ One appearance in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League, four appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
  5. ^ Appearances in UEFA Champions League

International

As of match played 6 June 2025
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Scotland 2025 2 0
Total 2 0

Honours

Sturm Graz

Individual

References

  1. ^ a b "Max Johnston Motherwell F.C player profile". motherwellfc.co.uk. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  2. ^ "Max Johnston Scottish FA player profile". scottishfa.co.uk. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  3. ^ "Max Johnston Scottish FA player profile". scottishfa.co.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  4. ^ a b McGilvray, Andy (16 January 2021). "Rangers hero's son is a new Academy graduate at Motherwell". dailyrecord.co.uk. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  5. ^ "Motherwell 1–4 Hamilton: Stephen O'Donnell sent off as Accies run riot to move off bottom". skysports.com. 13 February 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  6. ^ Banks, Ben (19 February 2021). "Motherwell manager Graham Alexander looking for response against old pal as he praises Max Johnston". nottheoldfirm.com. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  7. ^ "QosFC: Welcome - Max Johnston".
  8. ^ "Max Johnston joins Cove Rangers on loan". motherwellfc.co.uk. Motherwell FC. 6 September 2022. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  9. ^ Club, Motherwell Football; Gibson, Scott (1 January 2023). "Max Johnston recalled from Cove Rangers". Motherwell Football Club. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  10. ^ a b Grant, Michael (21 May 2023). "SFWA Young Player of the Year Max Johnston: It's my time to kick on". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  11. ^ "SCHOTTISCHE POWER FÜR DEN SK STURM". sksturm.at (in German). SK Strum Graz. 25 July 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  12. ^ "QosFC: Max Johnston". www.qosfc.com.
  13. ^ "Scotland squad to play France: Max Johnston called up as Aaron Hickey withdraws". BBC Sport. 16 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  14. ^ Murray, Ewan (20 March 2025). "Scott McTominay on spot to sink Greece and put Scotland in driving seat" – via The Guardian.
  15. ^ Max Johnston at Soccerway
  16. ^ "Games played by Max Johnston in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  17. ^ "Games played by Max Johnston in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  18. ^ "Games played by Max Johnston in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
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