Bradley Johnson facts for kids
Johnson playing for Norwich City in 2014
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Bradley Paul Johnson | ||
| Date of birth | 28 April 1987 | ||
| Place of birth | Hackney, London, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1997–2002 | Arsenal | ||
| 2003–2004 | Cambridge United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2003–2004 | Waltham Forest | 6 | (0) |
| 2004–2005 | Cambridge United | 1 | (0) |
| 2005–2008 | Northampton Town | 53 | (8) |
| 2005–2006 | → Gravesend & Northfleet (loan) | 24 | (5) |
| 2006 | → Stevenage Borough (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2008–2011 | Leeds United | 117 | (16) |
| 2008–2009 | → Brighton & Hove Albion (loan) | 10 | (5) |
| 2011–2015 | Norwich City | 142 | (21) |
| 2015–2019 | Derby County | 125 | (14) |
| 2019–2022 | Blackburn Rovers | 82 | (6) |
| 2022–2023 | Milton Keynes Dons | 41 | (5) |
| 2023–2024 | Derby County | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 605 | (80) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Bradley Paul Johnson (born 28 April 1987) is an English former professional footballer who played as a central midfielder. He now works as a football coach.
Johnson had a long 20-year career as a player. He played for many clubs, including Leeds United, Norwich City, and Derby County. He ended his playing career as a player-coach for Derby County's under-21 team. After retiring, Johnson continued to work as a coach at Derby County.
Contents
Early life
Johnson was born in Hackney, London. As a child, he was a fan of his local team, Arsenal, and was also a keen motorcyclist. He joined Arsenal's youth program but was released by the club when he was 15 years old. Johnson's grandfather was from the United States, which means he could have played for their national team.
Club career
Starting his journey
After leaving Arsenal, Johnson played for several clubs to build his experience. He first joined Cambridge United's youth team. He then moved to Northampton Town in 2005. While at Northampton, he was sent on loan to two other clubs, Gravesend & Northfleet and Stevenage Borough, to get more playing time.
His good performances at Northampton Town caught the eye of bigger clubs. Several teams from the Championship league were interested in signing him.
Leeds United
In January 2008, Johnson signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Leeds United for a fee of £250,000. He scored his first goal for the club against AFC Bournemouth in March 2008. That season, he played for Leeds in the League One playoff final at Wembley Stadium, but his team lost.
For a short time, Johnson struggled to get into the starting team. He was loaned to Brighton & Hove Albion, where he scored five goals in ten matches. When he returned to Leeds, he was back in the main squad.
By November 2010, Johnson decided not to sign a new contract with Leeds and was put on the transfer list. This meant other clubs could try to buy him. He scored a memorable goal against Arsenal in an FA Cup match in January 2011, which later won Leeds' goal of the season award.
Norwich City
On 1 July 2011, Johnson joined Norwich City, who were in the Premier League. He scored his first goal for Norwich against Bolton Wanderers with a header. Johnson became an important player for the team, helping them finish in 11th place in the 2012–13 season. Fans voted him third for the club's Player of the Season award.
The 2014–15 season was one of his best. He was made vice-captain and scored 15 goals, making him the team's second-highest scorer. He was voted the fans' Player of the Year. His goals helped Norwich reach the play-off final, where they beat Middlesbrough 2–0 to get promoted back to the Premier League.
Derby County
On 1 September 2015, Johnson signed for Derby County for a club record fee of £6 million. He scored his first goal for the club in a 3–1 win over Milton Keynes Dons. In 2016, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory against his old club, Norwich City. He played for Derby for four seasons.
Later career
In July 2019, Johnson joined Blackburn Rovers on a free transfer. He played for the club for three seasons. In one match, he scored two goals against his former team, Derby County.
On 15 July 2022, Johnson signed for Milton Keynes Dons. He scored two goals in a match against Port Vale, becoming the club's oldest-ever goalscorer at 35 years and 111 days old. He later broke his own record. At the end of the season, Johnson was one of nine players released by the club.
Return to Derby County and retirement
On 18 July 2023, Johnson returned to Derby County as a player-coach for the under-21 team. This meant he was both playing and helping to train the younger players.
Johnson announced his retirement from professional football on 26 April 2024. His career lasted 20 years, and he made over 600 appearances for his clubs.
Coaching career
After he stopped playing, Johnson continued his role as a coach in the Derby County academy. In February 2025, he worked as an assistant head coach for the first team. In June 2025, he was appointed as the lead under-18 coach at Derby County, where he helps develop young talent.
Personal life
Johnson has two younger brothers who were also footballers in the Norwich City academy as of 2015.
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Cambridge United | 2004–05 | League Two | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Northampton Town | 2005–06 | League Two | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 2006–07 | League One | 27 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 5 | |
| 2007–08 | League One | 23 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 5 | |
| Total | 53 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 61 | 10 | ||
| Gravesend & Northfleet (loan) | 2005–06 | Conference Premier | 24 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 24 | 5 | ||
| Stevenage Borough (loan) | 2006–07 | Conference Premier | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | ||
| Leeds United | 2007–08 | League One | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 3 |
| 2008–09 | League One | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 20 | 1 | |
| 2009–10 | League One | 36 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 47 | 7 | |
| 2010–11 | Championship | 45 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 49 | 6 | ||
| Total | 117 | 16 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 140 | 17 | ||
| Brighton & Hove Albion (loan) | 2008–09 | League One | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 5 |
| Norwich City | 2011–12 | Premier League | 28 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 29 | 2 | |
| 2012–13 | Premier League | 37 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 39 | 1 | ||
| 2013–14 | Premier League | 32 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 36 | 3 | ||
| 2014–15 | Championship | 41 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 45 | 15 | |
| 2015–16 | Premier League | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | ||
| Total | 142 | 21 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 154 | 21 | ||
| Derby County | 2015–16 | Championship | 31 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 5 |
| 2016–17 | Championship | 33 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 38 | 3 | ||
| 2017–18 | Championship | 33 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 35 | 4 | |
| 2018–19 | Championship | 28 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 34 | 2 | |
| Total | 125 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 140 | 14 | ||
| Blackburn Rovers | 2019–20 | Championship | 34 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 35 | 3 | |
| 2020–21 | Championship | 30 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 32 | 3 | ||
| 2021–22 | Championship | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 19 | 0 | ||
| Total | 82 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 86 | 6 | ||
| Milton Keynes Dons | 2022–23 | League One | 41 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 45 | 5 |
| Career total | 599 | 80 | 21 | 2 | 22 | 1 | 23 | 0 | 664 | 83 | ||
Honours
Norwich City
- Football League Championship play-offs: 2015
Individual
- Leeds United Player of the Year: 2010–11
- Leeds United Goal of the Season: 2010–11
- Norwich City Player of the Year: 2014–15
See also
In Spanish: Bradley Johnson para niños
