Max Johnston (footballer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 26 December 2003[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Middlesbrough, England | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position | Right-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Derby County | ||
| Number | 22 | ||
| 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) |
| 2023–2025 | Sturm Graz | 47 | (2) |
| 2023 | Sturm Graz II | 7 | (0) |
| 2025– | Derby County | 9 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2019 | Scotland U16[2] | 1 | (1) |
| 2022 | Scotland U19[3] | 2 | (0) |
| 2022–2024 | Scotland U21 | 10 | (1) |
| 2025– | Scotland | 4 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 17:06, 25 October 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 07:17, 9 September 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.
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]
Sturm 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 Sturm 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 Sturm 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][18]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 25 October 2025[19]
| 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[20] | Scottish Premiership | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | |
| 2021–22[21] | Scottish Premiership | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2022–23[22] | 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 | |||
| 2025–26 | Austrian Bundesliga | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | 1[f] | 0 | – | 5 | 1 | |||
| Total | 47 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | – | 65 | 2 | |||
| Sturm Graz II | 2023–24 | 2. Liga | 7 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 7 | 0 | ||||
| Derby County | 2025–26[23] | EFL Championship | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 9 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 118 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 144 | 8 | ||
- ^ Includes Scottish Cup, Austrian Cup, FA Cup
- ^ Includes Scottish League Cup, EFL Cup
- ^ Appearances in Scottish Challenge Cup
- ^ One appearance in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League, four appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
- ^ Appearances in UEFA Champions League
- ^ One appearance in UEFA Champions League
International
- As of match played 8 September 2025
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | 2025 | 4 | 0 |
| Total | 4 | 0 | |
Honours
Sturm Graz
Individual
References
- ^ a b Club, Motherwell Football. "Max Johnston Motherwell F.C player profile". motherwellfc.co.uk. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
- ^ "Max Johnston Scottish FA player profile". scottishfa.co.uk. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
- ^ "Max Johnston Scottish FA player profile". scottishfa.co.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "QosFC: Welcome - Max Johnston".
- ^ "Max Johnston joins Cove Rangers on loan". motherwellfc.co.uk. Motherwell FC. 6 September 2022. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
- ^ Club, Motherwell Football; Gibson, Scott (1 January 2023). "Max Johnston recalled from Cove Rangers". Motherwell Football Club. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Schottische Power Für Den SK Sturm". sksturm.at (in German). SK Strum Graz. 25 July 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
- ^ Mashiter, Nick (26 August 2025). "Derby set to sign Scotland defender Johnston". bbc.co.uk/sport. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
- ^ "Transfer News: Scotland international Max Johnston signs for Derby County". dcfc.co.uk. 27 August 2025. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
- ^ "Ipswich Town 2–2 Derby County". bbc.co.uk/sport. 30 August 2025. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ^ "QosFC: Max Johnston". www.qosfc.com.
- ^ "Scotland squad to play France: Max Johnston called up as Aaron Hickey withdraws". BBC Sport. 16 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
- ^ Murray, Ewan (20 March 2025). "Scott McTominay on spot to sink Greece and put Scotland in driving seat". The Guardian.
- ^ Carmichael, Morgan (14 August 2025). "Former Partick Thistle star Sammy Johnston dies aged 58". Glasgow Times. Retrieved 23 October 2025.
- ^ Max Johnston at Soccerway
- ^ "Games played by Max Johnston in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
- ^ "Games played by Max Johnston in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
- ^ "Games played by Max Johnston in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
- ^ "Games played by Max Johnston in 2025/2026". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 August 2025.