The rise and rise of Adam Johnson, endorsed by the greats
Quality can spot quality, and so when two English football legends tip the same child for the top, then they are worth listening to.
Adam Johnson, 10 years old and playing at Wembley for the first time, was approached by Fulham great Johnny Haynes after he’d struck twice in a seven-a-side schools match there in 1998.
“You’re a great little player,” said Haynes, “you’ve got a lovely left foot.”
“I’ll always remember what he said,” said Johnson’s mother Sonia. Haynes – who died in 2005 aged 71 – won 56 caps for England, was the first £100-per-week player and is these days immortalised with both a statue outside Craven Cottage and a stand inside.
A year after his school success, and no doubt buoyed by that endorsement, the young Johnson was on holiday at Butlins and couldn’t help but enter a football skills competition in a bid to hone his already obvious talents.
“He ended up winning it,” continues Sonia, “and he met Emlyn Hughes, who was lovely with the kids.
“Emlyn said to him: ‘Your left foot is great.’ It was wonderful that he singled him out.”
Hughes – the man who lifted the first two of Liverpool’s five European Cups – played for England 62 times, captained them on 23 occasions and won four league championships. He died in 2004 aged 57, after suffering from a brain tumour.
That sweet left foot so admired by both Haynes and Hughes is these days following in their footsteps, playing and scoring goals for England. Johnson’s second goal for his country in a matter of four days helped The Three Lions to a 3-1 victory over Switzerland last night, and confirmed the 23-year-old as a key member of Fabio Capello’s squad as they gear up for what will surely be participation in Euro 2012.
Elevation to an England regular would cap a somewhat rapid rise for the Sunderland-born Johnson, who made his senior debut for Middlesbrough in a Uefa Cup tie with Sporting Lisbon in March 2005.
After being in and around the ‘Boro side for five years – years that included a couple of loan spells – it took Middlesbrough’s relegation to the Championship in 2009, and Stewart Downing’s subsequent transfer to Aston Villa, for Johnson to truly start to shine, and after several links to many of Europe’s top clubs, he moved to Manchester City shortly before the closure of the winter transfer window.
His qualities were immediately well received by the City faithful, with a late equalising goal – ironically at Sunderland – quickly earning him even more fans.
Given an England debut shortly before the World Cup finals squad was announced, he narrowly missed out on a seat on the plane to South Africa – perhaps he was lucky to – but it is now surely unthinkable that he’ll miss out on future Capello gatherings.
One turn and dribble not long after coming on for Theo Walcott last night simply screamed international class, and it wasn’t a coincidence that all of England’s good work against Switzerland came from the Johnson connection – Adam and Glen – down their right hand side.
Although naturally left-footed – as Haynes and Hughes noticed – Johnson loves to cut in from the right hand side, a move which allows for both Glen Johnson to utilise his natural talents to get forward from full back position, and for the winger to link up with, and feed off Steven Gerrard, as he did to great effect for his goal.
His talent may have been obvious to some a long time ago, but a realisation must surely be dawning upon Capello, and indeed Roberto Mancini at City.
They’ve got a real player on their hands, one with a great left foot.
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