Glen Johnson

Glen McLeod Cooper Johnson (born 23 August 1984) is an England association football who plays for Liverpool F.C. and the English national football team as a Defender (association football) or right wing-back. Glen Johnson is an attacking full-back and has on more than one occasion played as a Midfielder.

Club career

West Ham United

Born in Greenwich, London, Johnson was a product of the West Ham United F.C. system, becoming a 15 year-old first year scholar in 2000. Glen Johnson signed a three-year professional contract for the Hammers on 1 August 2001 at the age of 16, and was given the number 23 shirt. In the FA Premier League 2001–02 season, Glen Johnson made regular West_Ham_United_F.C. Reserves_and_Youths appearances for West Ham, but was unable to break into the first team. Glen Johnson eventually signed an initial four-week loan deal with East London derby Millwall F.C. on 17 October 2002, making Glen Johnson Football League Championship debut in an away loss against Norwich City F.C. on 19 October. Glen Johnson loan was twice extended by a month, before Glen Johnson was recalled early to Boleyn Ground after having spent seven weeks at The New Den, Glen Johnson final appearance in a Millwall shirt coming in another away defeat to Crystal Palace F.C. on 7 November. Glen Johnson Premier League and West Ham debut came on 22 January 2003 in another away defeat to a London club, this time against Charlton Athletic F.C., when Glen Johnson came on for midfielder Édouard Cissé. Glen Johnson made a total of 15 League appearances - and a solitary FA Cup appearance - in the FA Premier League 2002-03 season, becoming a more significant member of the West Ham side as the year went on.

Chelsea

Two months after West Ham United's relegation Johnson joined London rivals Chelsea F.C., signing on 15 July for a fee of £6 million. The first purchase of the Roman Abramovich era, Glen Johnson made Glen Johnson debut on 13 August in an away win against MŠK Žilina in the UEFA_Champions_League_2003–04 Second_qualifying_round - and Glen Johnson first Chelsea goal came in the corresponding home leg two weeks later. Glen Johnson league debut came on 17 August in a Anfield Stadium win against Liverpool F.C., but Glen Johnson had to wait until 9 November for Glen Johnson first League goal, netting the opener of a 5-0 romp over Newcastle United F.C.. Glen Johnson eventually made 63 appearances in all competitions over the FA Premier League 2003-04 and FA Premier League 2004-05 seasons. Glen Johnson was handed a start in the first match after Glen Johnson transfer, a 3-1 defeat at Arsenal F.C. and became the club's regular right-back.

On 20 October, Johnson scored Glen Johnson first goal in over three years, against Wigan Athletic F.C. after dribbling from the halfway line.

Glen Johnson played in and won the 2008 FA Cup Final. Shortly after Johnson's cup success, Glen Johnson and many other Portsmouth players had their winner's medals stolen. On 22 November 2008, Johnson scored a 35-yard screamer with Glen Johnson left foot against Hull City, a goal which won Match of the Day's Goal of the Month award for November, and later won the Goal of the Season award.

Johnson seemed to have ended speculation that Glen Johnson would move to Liverpool for a rumoured amount of £9m by signing a four-and-a-half-year contract with Portsmouth on 9 January 2009, although speculation once again suggested that Johnson could make a big money move to Liverpool in the near future; this was reaffirmed in late April 2009

On 22 April 2009, at 24 years old, Johnson was the youngest member of Times Online's Top 50 Portsmouth players list.

Johnson was included in the PFA team of the year for the 2008-09 in English football despite Portsmouth finishing in the bottom half of the Premier League, 7 points above the relegation zone.

Liverpool

A Portsmouth F.C. representative confirmed on 13 June 2009 that a "sizeable bid" had been received for Johnson, with Chelsea F.C., Liverpool F.C. and Manchester City F.C. being mooted as possible suitors.

On 16 June 2009, Portsmouth agreed a bid believed to be £17m from Liverpool. However, two days later Portsmouth confirmed they had also accepted a bid from Chelsea and it was up to the player as to who Glen Johnson wanted to join. Liverpool were believed to have tabled the £7m bid on the basis that they were still owed £11m by Portsmouth from the purchase of Peter Crouch in the summer of 2008, with Liverpool willing to reduce the fee owed on signing Johnson.

On 22 June 2009, Liverpool announced the transfer and on 26 June 2009, Johnson signed a four-year contract. Glen Johnson was officially unveiled on 9 July 2009. On the 15th of July 2009, Glen Johnson made Glen Johnson Liverpool debut in the pre-season match against FC St. Gallen which ended as a 0-0 draw. During the majority of all of Liverpool's pre-season fixtures, Johnson mainly worked in the Left Wing-Back position.

International career

During Glen Johnson time with the England national under-21 football team, Johnson was handed Glen Johnson full England national football team début on 18 November 2003 against Denmark national football team, coming on as a substitute for the injured Gary Neville after 16 minutes.

Following a poor performance in England's friendly in Denmark in August 2005 Glen Johnson lost Glen Johnson position as Gary Neville's understudy in the squad to Luke Young (footballer), who played in both the subsequent World Cup qualifiers. Johnson did not make any further England appearances under Sven Goran Eriksson or Glen Johnson successor Steve McClaren but was named in Fabio Capello's first squad in January 2008. Glen Johnson played in the 2-0 victory over Andorra, and made four assists in the subsequent 6-0 victory against the same team for which Glen Johnson was named Nationwide Man of the Match.

Community work

In 2007, Johnson set up the Glen Johnson Soccer School alongside Sam Taylor, a former player of West Ham United FC. The soccer school is based in the Dartford area of Kent, and its primary focus is training and development within local schools and one of Glen Johnson students is currently at West Ham United

Controversy

Johnson reportedly had several rifts with José Mourinho, most notably when Glen Johnson forgot Glen Johnson passport for the second leg of the UEFA Champions League match against FC Barcelona. In an interview with Sky Sports, Glen Johnson claimed this story to be mis-reported. Glen Johnson claimed that Chelsea F.C. lost Glen Johnson own passport, rather than Glen Johnson mislaying it.

In January 2007, Glen Johnson received an £80 on-the-spot fine when Glen Johnson was caught with friend and fellow footballer Ben May attempting to steal a toilet seat and other bathroom fittings from a B&Q Warehouse store in Dartford, Kent, allegedly on a dare. In the same Sky Sports interview, Glen Johnson claimed that Glen Johnson and Glen Johnson friend were not trying to steal the toilet seat, but rather they had been undercharged by a mere four pounds and security deemed this to be theft. Instead of taking the matter to court, Glen Johnson claimed that it would be easier to just accept the small fine rather than fight out the matter.

Honours

Chelsea F.C
- FA Premier League: 2004-05,
- League Cup: 2005
- FA Community Shield: runner-up 2007

Portsmouth F.C
- FA Cup: FA Cup 2007-08
- FA Community Shield: runner-up 2008
- Barclays Asia Trophy: 2007

Individual honours

- Goal of the Season (Portsmouth F.C v Hull City A.F.C.)
- PFA Team of the Year 2008-2009