Glen Johnson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Glen Johnson

Johnson playing for Liverpool in 2011
Personal information
Date of birth	(1984-08-23) 23 August 1984 (age 40)
Place of birth	Greenwich, London, England
Height	6 feet 0 inches (1.82 m)
Playing position	Right back
Youth career
1993–2002	West Ham United
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2002–2003	West Ham United	15	(0)
2002	→ Millwall (loan)	8	(0)
2003–2007	Chelsea	42	(3)
2006–2007	→ Portsmouth (loan)	26	(0)
2007–2009	Portsmouth	58	(4)
2009–2015	Liverpool	160	(8)
2015–2018	Stoke City	57	(0)
Total		366	(15)
National team
1999–2000	England U16	7	(2)
2000–2001	England U17	19	(1)
2001–2002	England U19	10	(0)
2002	England U20	1	(0)
2003–2006	England U21	14	(0)
2003–2014	England	54	(1)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Glen Johnson, born on August 23, 1984, is a former English football player. He mostly played as a right-back defender.

Johnson started his career at West Ham United. He also spent some time on loan at Millwall. In 2003, he joined Chelsea for £6 million. He helped Chelsea win the Premier League title in 2005 and the League Cup final in the same year.

In 2006, Johnson went on loan to Portsmouth. After a great season, he joined Portsmouth permanently for about £4 million. He played 99 games for Portsmouth and helped them win the 2008 FA Cup final by beating Cardiff City 1–0.

In 2009, Johnson moved to Liverpool for £17.5 million. He played for Liverpool for six seasons, making 200 appearances. He also helped them win the League Cup final in 2012. In 2015, he joined Stoke City on a free transfer. He played 64 games over three seasons before he retired.

Glen Johnson also played for the England national team 54 times between 2003 and 2014. He was part of England's teams for the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups, and UEFA Euro 2012.

Early Life and Family Background

Glen Johnson was born in Greenwich, London. He grew up in Dartford, Kent. He was born Glen Stephens, but he later took his mother's last name, Johnson, after his parents separated. His parents named him after the famous English footballer Glenn Hoddle.

Glen was raised by his mother, along with his younger brother and older half-sister. At one point, his family lived in a hostel because they didn't have a home. Johnson gives a lot of credit to his mother for helping him become a football player. He said she had a tough time raising three kids by herself. He also mentioned that once his mom got her driving license, she could take him to football every week, which was a fresh start for them.

Club Football Career

Starting at West Ham United

Glen Johnson started playing football at the West Ham United youth academy when he was nine years old. He signed his first professional contract with the club in 2001, just before his 17th birthday.

In 2002, he joined Millwall on a short loan deal. He played his first game in the First Division against Norwich City. After his loan, he returned to West Ham.

Johnson made his Premier League debut for West Ham in January 2003. He played 15 league games that season. He even signed a new four-year contract, hoping to help the club stay in the top league. However, West Ham was relegated to the First Division at the end of the season.

Playing for Chelsea

Two months after West Ham was relegated, Johnson joined Chelsea in July 2003. He was the first player bought after Roman Abramovich became the owner of Chelsea. He made his debut in a 2003–04 UEFA Champions League match in August. His first goal for Chelsea came two weeks later in the same competition.

In his first season, he played 19 league games as Chelsea finished second in the Premier League. In 2005, he helped Chelsea win the League Cup final against Liverpool. He also played enough games (16) to earn a medal when Chelsea won the Premier League title that season.

Time at Portsmouth

In June 2006, Johnson joined Portsmouth on a loan deal for a season. After a successful loan, he signed a permanent four-year contract with Portsmouth in August 2007 for about £4 million. He quickly became the team's regular right-back.

In October 2007, Johnson scored his first goal for Portsmouth against Wigan Athletic. He helped Portsmouth reach the 2008 FA Cup final where they beat Cardiff City 1–0. Johnson played in this winning final. After the match, his winner's medal was stolen from his hotel room, but the Football Association later gave him a new one.

In November 2008, Johnson scored an amazing goal from 30 yards out against Hull City. This goal won the "Goal of the Month" award and later the "Goal of the Season" award. He was also named in the PFA Team of the Year for the 2008–09 season, which is a big honor for a player.

Moving to Liverpool

Johnson warming up for Liverpool in 2009

In June 2009, Liverpool made a large offer for Johnson, which Portsmouth accepted. He signed a four-year contract with Liverpool. He made his Premier League debut for Liverpool in August 2009.

In his first home game for Liverpool, Johnson played brilliantly against Stoke City. He scored his first goal for the club and also set up another goal. In December 2009, he got a knee injury that kept him out for about a month. He returned in March and scored his third goal for Liverpool against Sunderland. He played 35 games and scored three goals in his first season with Liverpool.

In November 2010, Johnson scored his first goal of the 2010–11 season against West Ham United. In July 2011, he signed a new contract with Liverpool. In November 2011, he scored a fantastic solo goal against his old club, Chelsea, which helped Liverpool win 2–1.

On February 26, 2012, Johnson helped Liverpool win their first trophy since 2006. They won the League Cup final against Cardiff City. He played the whole match and scored his penalty in the shoot-out. He played 29 games in the 2011–12 season.

In December 2012, Johnson scored Liverpool's first goal in a 3–2 win over West Ham. He played 43 games in the 2012–13 season. In the 2013–14 season, he played 30 games as Liverpool almost won the Premier League title. In May 2015, Johnson announced he would leave Liverpool at the end of the season.

Joining Stoke City

Johnson joined Stoke City in July 2015, signing a two-year contract. He played his first game for Stoke against his former club, Liverpool. He was the main right-back for Stoke in the 2015–16 season until he got a knee injury in February 2016. He played 29 games before his injury.

Johnson signed a one-year contract extension with Stoke in April 2017. He played 25 games in the 2016–17 season. In the 2017–18 season, he played only ten games as Stoke was relegated to the EFL Championship. He left Stoke at the end of that season.

On January 21, 2019, Glen Johnson announced that he was retiring from football.

International Career for England

Early Years and Under-21s

Johnson warming up for England in 2009

Glen Johnson played for the England under-21s. He made his first full England team debut on November 18, 2003, against Denmark. He came on as a substitute for an injured player.

After a few years, he was called up again to the England squad in January 2008. In 2010, Johnson played in a 2–0 win over Andorra. He also made four assists in a 6–0 win against the same team, earning him the "man of the match" award. Johnson scored his first goal for England in a friendly match against Mexico on May 24, 2010, at Wembley Stadium. England won that game 3–1.

Playing in Euro 2012

Johnson (left) playing for England at UEFA Euro 2012

In February 2011, Johnson helped England win 2–1 against Denmark by assisting a goal. On May 16, 2012, Johnson was chosen for England's squad for UEFA Euro 2012. He played in all three of England's group matches, helping them win their group. On June 24, 2012, he started for England in their quarter-final game against Italy, where they lost on penalties.

2014 World Cup Appearance

On May 12, 2014, Johnson was named in England's 23-man squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. During England's group stage match against Uruguay, Johnson made a great run and passed the ball to Wayne Rooney, who scored. However, Uruguay went on to win the game 2–1.

Personal Life and Business

Glen Johnson was born in England and has Jamaican heritage. In 2007, Johnson started the Glen Johnson Soccer School with Sam Taylor. This football school is in Dartford, Kent, and focuses on training young players in local schools.

In 2007, Glen Johnson also founded Johnsons Real Estate with his brother, Lewis Johnson. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Johnsons Real Estate.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

Johnson playing for Portsmouth in 2007

International Appearances and Goals

International Goals Scored

England score listed first, score column indicates score after each Johnson goal.

International goals by date, venue, cap, opponent, score, result and competition

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Ref
1	24 May 2010	Wembley Stadium, London, England	21	Mexico	3–1	3–1	Friendly

Football Honours and Awards

Chelsea

• Premier League: 2004–05
• Football League Cup: 2004–05

Portsmouth

• FA Cup: 2007–08

Liverpool

• Football League Cup: 2011–12
• FA Cup runner-up: 2011–12

Individual Awards

• PFA Team of the Year: 2008–09 Premier League
• Portsmouth Player of the Season: 2008–09
• BBC Goal of the Season: 2008–09

See also

In Spanish: Glen Johnson (futbolista) para niños