Max Johnston (footballer)

Last updated

Max Johnston
Personal information
Date of birth (2003-12-26) 26 December 2003 (age 21) [1]
Place of birth Middlesbrough, England
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Right-back
Team information
Current team
Derby County
Number 22
Youth career
Motherwell
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2021–2023 Motherwell 19 (3)
2021–2022Queen of the South (loan) 25 (2)
2022Cove Rangers (loan) 11 (0)
2023–2025 Sturm Graz 47 (2)
2023 Sturm Graz II 7 (0)
2025– Derby County 1 (0)
International career
2019 Scotland U16 [2] 1 (1)
2022 Scotland U19 [3] 2 (0)
2022–2024 Scotland U21 10 (1)
2025– Scotland 2 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 16:13, 30 August 2025 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 22:33, 6 June 2025 (UTC)

Max Johnston (born 26 December 2003) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a right-back for EFL Championship club Derby County and the Scotland national team.

Contents

Johnston started his career at the Motherwell academy, making his senior debut in 2021, where he also had loan spells at Queen of the South and Cove Rangers. In 2023, Johnston moved to Austria to sign with Sturm Graz where he would stay for two years, before moving to England to sign with Derby County.

Club career

Motherwell

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]

Strum Graz

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

Johnston made 65 appearances for Strum Graz, scoring two goals and whilst at the club he won the Austrian Bundesliga in 2024 and 2025 and the Austrian Cup in 2024. [12]

Derby County

On 27 August 2025, Johnston signed with EFL Championship club Derby County on a four-year contract after Derby agreed an undisclosed fee with Strum Graz for Johnston's services. [13] On 30 August 2025, Johnston made his debut for Derby in a 2–2 league draw at Ipswich Town. [14]

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. [15]

He was added to the full Scotland squad for the first time in October 2023, following withdrawals by Aaron Hickey and Andrew Robertson. [16] He made his senior debut on 20 March 2025 as a late substitute for Billy Gilmour in a UEFA Nations League victory over Greece. [17]

Personal life

Johnston's father is former Scotland international Allan; his uncle Sammy was also a footballer. [4]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 30 August 2025 [18]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational cup [a] League cup [b] ContinentalOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Motherwell 2020–21 [19] Scottish Premiership 2000000020
2021–22 [20] Scottish Premiership00000000
2022–23 [21] Scottish Premiership173200000193
Total193200000213
Queen of the South (loan) 2021–22 Scottish Championship 25220004 [c] 1313
Cove Rangers (loan) 2022–23 Scottish Championship1100000110
Sturm Graz 2023–24 Austrian Bundesliga 200207 [d] 0290
2024–25 Austrian Bundesliga241205 [e] 0311
2025–26 Austrian Bundesliga31101 [f] 051
Total4725000130652
Sturm Graz II 2023–24 2. Liga 7070
Derby County 2025–26 [22] EFL Championship 100010
Career total11079000130411368
  1. Includes Scottish Cup, Austrian Cup, FA Cup
  2. Includes Scottish League Cup, EFL 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
  6. One appearance in UEFA Champions League

International

As of match played 6 June 2025
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Scotland 202530
Total30

Honours

Sturm Graz

Individual

References

  1. 1 2 "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. 1 2 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. 1 2 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. Mashiter, Nick (26 August 2025). "Derby set to sign Scotland defender Johnston". bbc.co.uk/sport. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  13. "Transfer News: Scotland international Max Johnston signs for Derby County". dcfc.co.uk. 27 August 2025. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  14. "Ipswich Town 2–2 Derby County". bbc.co.uk/sport. 30 August 2025. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  15. "QosFC: Max Johnston". www.qosfc.com.
  16. "Scotland squad to play France: Max Johnston called up as Aaron Hickey withdraws". BBC Sport. 16 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  17. Murray, Ewan (20 March 2025). "Scott McTominay on spot to sink Greece and put Scotland in driving seat" via The Guardian.
  18. Max Johnston at Soccerway
  19. "Games played by Max Johnston in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  20. "Games played by Max Johnston in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  21. "Games played by Max Johnston in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  22. "Games played by Max Johnston in 2025/2026". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 August 2025.