Anthony Ralston, a Scotsman born on 16 November 1998, is a defender who primarily honours the right back position for Celtic FC. Standing tall at 5ft 11in (1.82m) and weighing about 12st 3lb (78kg), Ralston commands the pitch with his number 56 jersey. Besides his club career, he proudly represented his country's soil, featuring in the national colours of Scotland.
As of now, Ralston has been marked with an approximated market value of €2.00m (~£1.7m), according to Transfermarkt. The defender's association with Celtic is tied till 31 May 2027, giving him about 2 years and 3 months left on his current Celtic contract.
Back in July 2015, Ralston caught fleeting experience against top-tier teams when he transferred from Premiership giants Celtic to Championship side Queen's Park on loan. During his stay, he created some memorable moments with 10 first team appearances and one goal under his belt in league matches.
Upon completion of his spirited loan spell at Queen's Park, Ralston rejoined Celtic in January 2016. Despite the stiff competition, he managed to appear for his beloved Celtic in league matches, tallying one each season for 2015 - 2016 and 2016 - 2017 seasons, followed by three in 2017 - 2018, four in 2018 - 2019 (also scoring once), and two in 2019 - 2020.
With figures for his last seasons being quite robust, Ralston had single appearances in 2019-2020 and 2020-2021, with a remarkable surge in 2021-2022, with 28 appearances and four goals. He was a visible part of the team for the 2022 - 2023 and 2023 - 2024 seasons, respectively making 16 and 15 first team appearances. In the present 2024 - 2025 season, Ralston has continued to impress, having already made 12 first team appearances with one goal to his name.
Expanding his horizons, Ralston went on loan spells to other Premiership sides as well: Dundee United in March 2018, thereafter returning to Celtic in June 2018, and St Johnstone in September 2019 where he made 22 first team appearances that season before returning to Celtic in June 2020.
Ralston's contributions have been remarkable. Apart from his commendable league runs, he has participated in Celtic's ventures with one start and one substitute appearance in the League Cup 2024 - 2025, a start in the Scottish Cup 2024 - 2025, and three substitute appearances in Champions League 2024 - 2025. His national service includes three starts at Euro 2024, a substitute appearance at Euro Qualifiers 2022 - 2024 and six starts in Nations League 2024 - 2025 for Scotland.
These series of loan spells and competent performances for a multitude of clubs made Ralston an experienced right back - a journey catalysed by his time at Celtic.
