Craig Johnston facts for kids

Craig Peter Johnston (born 25 June 1960) is a famous Australian former professional football player. He was a talented midfielder who played in England from 1977 to 1988. He played for two big clubs: Middlesbrough and Liverpool.

Fans at Anfield, Liverpool's home stadium, loved Craig and called him "Skippy". He played 271 games for Liverpool and scored 40 goals. He was a key player in 1986 when Liverpool won both the league and the FA Cup, a special achievement called a "double". Craig even helped write the team's 1988 cup final song, "Anfield Rap".

Sadly, Craig's football career ended early when he was just 27. He decided to stop playing to care for his sister, who was very ill. After football, Craig became an inventor. He designed the first idea for the Adidas Predator football boot. This boot became one of the best-selling football boots ever! Many famous football and rugby players have worn them.

Craig Johnston's Early Life

Craig Johnston was born in Johannesburg, South South Africa. His parents were Australian, and his family moved back to Australia when he was very young. When Craig was six, he got a serious bone infection called osteomyelitis. He almost lost his leg, but a special doctor helped him.

Craig's father had also tried to play football professionally. He encouraged Craig to play soccer as a child. Craig played for Lake Macquarie City in Newcastle, New South Wales.

When Craig was 14, he really wanted to play football in England. He wrote to four English clubs, including Manchester United, Chelsea, and Middlesbrough. Chelsea was the first to offer him a trial. Craig's parents even sold their house to pay for his trip to England. He didn't get picked by Chelsea. But a month later, he tried out for Middlesbrough, and the manager, Jack Charlton, signed him!

Playing Football in England

Craig's first try-out game for Middlesbrough didn't go well. At half-time, his manager, Jack Charlton, told him he was the "worst footballer" he had ever seen. Craig was told to leave the hotel where the trialists were staying. He ended up sleeping in a cleaned-out coal shed!

But Craig didn't give up. He trained by himself in a car park near Ayresome Park, Middlesbrough's stadium. The team captain, Graeme Souness, saw him training and was impressed.

Starting at Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough, now managed by John Neal, signed Craig in 1977. He played his first game for Middlesbrough when he was 17. It was an FA Cup match, and they won 3-2 against Everton. Craig's first league game was on 4 February 1978. They beat Birmingham City 2-1. He scored his first goal for the club later that season. Craig scored 16 goals in 64 league games for Middlesbrough. In 1981, he moved to Liverpool for £650,000.

Becoming a Liverpool Star

Craig made his first appearance for Liverpool in August 1981. He came on as a substitute in a league game against Wolverhampton Wanderers. His first start was in a big international game, the Intercontinental Cup, against a Brazilian team called Flamengo.

Craig scored his first goal for Liverpool on 8 December 1981 against Arsenal. It was during a League Cup game. He scored in extra time, helping Liverpool win 3-0. Craig quickly became a fan favourite at Anfield. He played under three different managers: Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, and Kenny Dalglish. He usually played on the right side of the midfield. He played 271 games for Liverpool and scored 40 goals.

Craig was part of the Liverpool teams that won the League championship in 1982 and 1983. He also won the League Cup in 1983. In 1984, Craig helped Liverpool win three major trophies in one season: the League championship, the League Cup, and the European Cup.

Two years later, in 1986, he was a key player when Liverpool won another "double". They won both the League championship and the FA Cup. In the 1986 FA Cup final at Wembley, Craig made history. He became the first Australian to score in an FA Cup final! He scored to put Liverpool 2-1 ahead against Everton. Liverpool went on to win the game.

In 1988, Liverpool won the League title again. Craig often came on as a substitute or started games. He also helped write the club's song for the FA Cup final that year, called "Anfield Rap". It mixed Liverpool lyrics with popular rap and house music styles. His last two goals for Liverpool came in a 5-1 win against Sheffield Wednesday.

Playing for His Country

In the early 1980s, Craig was asked to play for Scotland. He could have played for them because his father was Scottish. But Craig said no to the offer.

He did play for England's under-21 team. He played against Norway in September 1980 and against the Republic of Ireland in February 1981. Early in his career, he once said that playing football for Australia was "like surfing for England." Craig could also have played for South Africa.

Why Craig Stopped Playing

Craig played 270 games and scored 40 goals for Liverpool. Just a few days before the 1988 FA Cup Final at Wembley, Craig surprised everyone. He announced he was retiring early from Liverpool.

Earlier that year, Craig's sister became very sick. She was in a hospital in Morocco. By the end of the season, it was clear she needed constant care back home in Australia. Craig wanted to be the one to provide that care for her.

He did play one last game for Liverpool. He came on as a substitute in the 1988 FA Cup final against Wimbledon. Sadly, Liverpool lost that game. Craig never played for Liverpool again after that.

In 1991, Graeme Souness became Liverpool's manager. He asked Craig if he wanted to train with the team and maybe play again. But it didn't work out. Craig always said he could never play for any club other than Liverpool.

Life After Football: Inventor and Businessman

After stopping football, Craig Johnston became a successful businessman and innovator. He designed the first idea for the Adidas Predator football boot. Many of the world's top football and rugby players have worn these boots. Famous players like Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Xavi, Jonny Wilkinson, and Ronan O'Gara used them.

It took Craig five years to get his first boot idea off the ground. Adidas, Nike, and Reebok all said no at first. But then, Craig filmed German football legends Franz Beckenbauer, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, and Paul Breitner using his boots in the snow. This video convinced Adidas to agree to his idea!

He later designed another special boot called "The Pig." It was a 'skin' that could be placed over the front of an existing boot. This design was so good that he was nominated for British Designer of the Year.

Craig also invented the Traxion sole for football boots. He also created a software program called 'the Butler'. This program helps hotels know what has been taken from mini-bars in hotel rooms.

Craig invested a lot of money in a football school idea for children in cities. But he didn't get the business support he expected and went bankrupt. This even made him homeless for a short time.

Other Cool Things Craig Did

Craig Johnston created a TV game show called The Main Event. It was shown in Australia for two years in the early 1990s. It also had a season in the UK in 1993.

Even though he travels a lot for his business, Craig still lives in Australia. He has been recognised in Australia for his achievements in England. In 2006, Craig appeared on a TV show called The Footy Show World Cup Spectacular in Germany. He shared stories about his career.

During the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Craig wrote a long letter to FIFA president, Sepp Blatter. In the letter, he collected all the complaints from players and coaches about the controversial Adidas-made Jabulani football. He risked his reputation by doing this, expecting to be blacklisted by the football organisation.

In 2005, Craig Johnston was added to the Football Australia Hall of Fame. Today, Craig has a new career as a photographer.

Craig's Trophies and Awards

• Football League First Division (5): 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1985–86, 1987–88
• FA Cup (1): 1985–86; runner-up: 1987–88
• League Cup (2): 1982–83, 1983–84
• FA Charity Shield (1): 1986
• European Cup (1): 1983–84

Individual Awards

• Football Australia Hall of Fame: 2005
• PFA Alex Tobin OAM Medal: 2009