Johnson: Adam

2005-2005 (Player Details)

Left Midfield

Born: Sunderland: 14-07-1987

Debut: v Leicester City (h): 17-10-2006

5’9” 9st 11lb (2006)

A product of the prodigious Middlesbrough Academy, he played mainly as a left-winger. Johnson is one of the many players to graduate from Middlesbrough's acclaimed Academy to the first team in recent years and he was part of the squad that won the FA Youth Cup in 2003-04. He also played for England's Under-Nineteens and has been tipped as a future star of the game by the coach, Nigel Hunter. Johnson made his senior debut aged seventeen on 17th March 2005 in the UEFA Cup in the 1–0 defeat away to Sporting Lisbon. Almost six months later he made his EPL debut, and first senior start, deputising for an injured Stewart Downing in a 2–1 home win against Arsenal. He made his England Under-Nineteen debut in a 3-2 win over Belgium at Darlington's Football Stadium, setting up two goals in a ‘Man of the Match’ display. The 2005/06 season saw Johnson used increasingly in the first team and he claimed his first goal in a 1-1 draw at Bolton. His progress was rewarded with an improved four-year contract in the summer of 2006 but struggled to make regular inroads in the first team, only making three Premiership starts. On 16th October 2005 he joined Leeds United on a month’s loan, playing five times. Johnson’s stay at Leeds was short and not very successful as the team struggled. He went straight into the team in the 2-1 home defeat by Leicester City and he played virtually a full game, being substituted after ninety minutes. A 5-1 trouncing at Luton followed in which he was still there at the final whistle. Middlesbrough did not allow him to play in the League Cup game at home to Southend, but he was back for Denis Wise’s first game in a 2-0 victory over the Shrimpers, setting up the first goal and only being substituted with three minutes to go. There was another shellacking in store in another defeat, this time 4-1 at Preston, where he was subsituted at half time after a poor first half. In his final match he only got ten minutes when coming on as a substitute as United failed again, this time 3-2 at Barnsley. Later on in the season he came on as a substitute in the FA Cup replay with Bristol City and played a vital role in seeing Middlesbrough through to the next round by setting up one goal and scoring the winning penalty in the shoot-out. He finished the 2005/06 season with eighteen games and one goal to his name and continued this fine form in 2006/07. In September 2007 Johnson joined CCCL side Watford on a three month loan. He started eleven and came on as a substitute in another League game for the club, scoring five times, before being recalled to Middlesbrough, after less than two months, where he starred in their FA Cup 4th Round tie against Mansfield Town. Middlesbrough lost their EPL status at the end of the 2008-09 season and this saw the departure of Stewart Downing to Aston Villa. Johnson soon became an integral part of the Boro' side in the CCCL scoring three times in the first five games. He was a standout performer for Middlesborough and his name was linked with several clubs. His Middlesborough record was, thirteen goals in ninety-six League appearances, of which forty-seven were as a substitute. He made fourteen F.A. Cup appearances, of which six were from the bench, without scoring, while in the League Cup he scored three times in six games of which one was off the bench and he started two and come on as a substitute in UEFA Cup games without scoring. While the club said he was not for sale they failed to extend his contract past the 2009-10 season and the winter transfer window saw his exit. He moved to Manchester City on 1st February 2010 for £7 million and had scored one goal in sixteen League games, of which two were as a substitute by the end of the 2009-10 season. He had gained nineteen Under-twenty-one caps for England and scored four goals in them. In May 2010, Johnson was named in England's thirty-man World Cup squad, and made his full England debut on 24th May 2010, as a substitute for James Milner against Mexico at Wembley. When the England twenty-three-man World Cup squad was finalized on 1st June 2010 Johnson was omitted.