Jemal Johnson facts for kids
Johnson as a Lokomotiv Sofia player in 2011.
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jemal Pierre Johnson | ||
| Date of birth | May 3, 1985 | ||
| Place of birth | Paterson, New Jersey, United States | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Winger Striker |
||
| Youth career | |||
| Manchester United | |||
| 2001–2004 | Blackburn Rovers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2004–2006 | Blackburn Rovers | 6 | (0) |
| 2005 | → Preston North End (loan) | 3 | (1) |
| 2006 | → Darlington (loan) | 9 | (3) |
| 2006–2007 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 20 | (3) |
| 2007 | → Leeds United (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2007–2011 | Milton Keynes Dons | 96 | (12) |
| 2010 | → Stockport County (loan) | 16 | (2) |
| 2010 | → Port Vale (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 2011 | Lokomotiv Sofia | 14 | (1) |
| 2011 | Southend United | 5 | (0) |
| 2012 | Dover Athletic | 10 | (1) |
| 2012 | Tamworth | 1 | (0) |
| 2013 | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 11 | (1) |
| 2013–2014 | New York Cosmos | 20 | (1) |
| 2015–2017 | Jacksonville Armada | 74 | (7) |
| 2018–2019 | Fresno FC | 59 | (16) |
| Total | 356 | (48) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Jemal Pierre Johnson (born May 3, 1985) is a former professional soccer player from the United States. He played for 15 years, scoring 53 goals in 391 games. These games included both league matches and cup competitions.
Jemal started his career at Premier League club Blackburn Rovers. He played several games for them between 2004 and 2006. He had trained in the club's youth academy before joining the main team. After playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers, he moved to Milton Keynes Dons in 2007.
He also played on loan for several other teams. These included Preston North End, Darlington, and Leeds United. Later, he played for Stockport County and Port Vale. In 2011, he played for Lokomotiv Sofia in Bulgaria. He then returned to England to play for Southend United. After leaving Southend, he joined Dover Athletic and then Tamworth. Jemal then moved back to the United States. There, he played for the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. He also played for the New York Cosmos and Jacksonville Armada. His last club was Fresno FC, where he played until 2019.
Contents
Jemal Johnson's Soccer Journey
Early Career at Blackburn Rovers
Jemal Johnson was born in the United States. However, his family moved to Macclesfield, England, when he was five years old. He first joined the youth team at Manchester United. When he was 16, he moved to the Academy at Blackburn Rovers.
Jemal played his first game for Blackburn's main team on January 8, 2005. It was an FA Cup match against Cardiff City. He came on as a substitute near the end of the game. He scored his first goal in his very first start on January 29. This was in a 3–0 FA Cup win against Colchester United. He also played in three Premier League games that season.
Loan Spells to Gain Experience
In October 2005, Jemal joined Championship team Preston North End on loan. He played three games there and scored a goal against Hull City. In March 2006, he went on loan to League Two club Darlington. He scored three goals in nine games for Darlington.
Playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers
Jemal moved to Wolverhampton Wanderers in August 2006. This was because he hadn't become a regular player at Blackburn. He started well, scoring two winning goals in his first two league games. His manager, Mick McCarthy, was very happy. However, he only scored one more goal that season.
In February 2007, he joined Leeds United on a three-month loan. He didn't play much there, making only five appearances. After returning to Wolverhampton, he was put on the list of players who could be transferred to another club.
Time at Milton Keynes Dons
In August 2007, Milton Keynes Dons signed Jemal Johnson. He signed a two-year contract. In his first season, he scored important goals. One goal helped the Dons reach the Football League Trophy final. He played at Wembley in the final, where his team beat Grimsby Town 2–0. He also helped the club win the League Two title.
Jemal scored six goals in the 2008–09 season. The Dons just missed out on automatic promotion to the Championship. His contract ended in May 2009, but he signed a new two-year deal in July 2009.
Loan Moves and Departure
Jemal started the 2009–10 season well, even scoring a hat-trick in a friendly game. But he lost his regular spot in the team. In January 2010, he joined Stockport County on loan. He scored two goals in 16 games for Stockport.
In August 2010, Jemal had trials with two American clubs, D.C. United and Kansas City Wizards. However, he didn't get a contract from either. He then joined Port Vale on a one-month loan in September 2010. In January 2011, Jemal left Milton Keynes Dons by agreement.
Adventures Abroad and Return to England
In January 2011, Jemal decided to play in Bulgaria. He joined top-flight team Lokomotiv Sofia. He played his first game for them on February 28. He left the club in the summer after they finished fourth in the league.
In July 2011, Jemal returned to England. He signed a contract with Southend United, a League Two team. He played a few games for them before leaving the club in December 2011.
Non-League Football in England
In February 2012, Jemal signed with Dover Athletic. He played for them until the end of the season. However, he was not offered a new contract and left in May 2012.
Jemal then joined Conference National team Tamworth in September 2012. He only played one game as a substitute before leaving the club.
Playing Soccer in the United States
Jemal Johnson moved back to the United States. He joined the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in 2013. This team played in the North American Soccer League. On June 23, he played in a friendly game against a Brazilian team, Cruzeiro Esporte Clube.
Joining the New York Cosmos
In June 2013, Jemal joined the New York Cosmos. During a pre-season tour, he got a knee injury. This meant he missed the start of the season. He made his Cosmos debut on November 2, playing 18 minutes in a win. This was his only game in 2013 due to his injury.
In 2014, Jemal played more regularly for the Cosmos. On July 26, he scored his first goal for the team. It was in a 1–1 draw against his old club, Fort Lauderdale Strikers. He played mainly as a left winger. He scored one goal and made two assists in 19 games during the 2014 season.
Jacksonville Armada and Fresno FC
In December 2014, Jemal moved to a new NASL club, Jacksonville Armada. He scored the very first goal for the Armada in their opening game of the 2015 season. This goal was scored just 12 seconds into the game, setting a new record for the fastest goal in modern NASL history! He finished the 2015 season with five goals in 29 games. He scored two goals in 24 games in 2016. In 2017, his last season with the Armada, he played 24 games but did not score.
On January 18, 2018, Jemal signed with United Soccer League team Fresno FC. He scored nine goals in 30 games during the 2018 season. He scored seven goals in 33 games in the 2019 season. Fresno reached the Conference Quarterfinals that year.
Jemal Johnson's Playing Style
Jemal Johnson was known for being a very fast player. He was also good at shooting from long distances. He was effective in situations where he was one-on-one with an opponent.
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Blackburn Rovers | 2004–05 | Premier League | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| 2005–06 | Premier League | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 6 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | ||
| Preston North End (loan) | 2005–06 | Championship | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Darlington (loan) | 2005–06 | League Two | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 3 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2006–07 | Championship | 20 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 3 |
| Leeds United (loan) | 2006–07 | Championship | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| MK Dons | 2007–08 | League Two | 39 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 46 | 8 |
| 2008–09 | League One | 33 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 6 | |
| 2009–10 | League One | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 1 | |
| 2010–11 | League One | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | |
| Total | 96 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 112 | 16 | ||
| Stockport County (loan) | 2009–10 | League One | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 2 |
| Port Vale (loan) | 2010–11 | League Two | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Lokomotiv Sofia | 2010–11 | A PFG | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 |
| Southend United | 2011–12 | League Two | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Dover Athletic | 2011–12 | Conference South | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 |
| Tamworth | 2012–13 | Conference National | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 2013 | North American Soccer League | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 12 | 1 | ||
| New York Cosmos | 2013 | North American Soccer League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2014 | North American Soccer League | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 20 | 1 | |||
| Total | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 21 | 1 | ||||
| Jacksonville Armada | 2015 | North American Soccer League | 28 | 5 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 29 | 5 | ||
| 2016 | North American Soccer League | 24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 24 | 2 | |||
| 2017 | North American Soccer League | 22 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 24 | 0 | |||
| Total | 74 | 7 | 3 | 0 | – | – | 77 | 7 | ||||
| Fresno | 2018 | United Soccer League | 28 | 9 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 30 | 9 | ||
| 2019 | USL Championship | 31 | 7 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 33 | 7 | |||
| Total | 59 | 16 | 4 | 0 | – | – | 63 | 16 | ||||
| Career total | 356 | 48 | 19 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 391 | 53 | ||
Honors and Achievements
Milton Keynes Dons
- League Two: 2007–08
- Football League Trophy: 2007–08
New York Cosmos
- North American Soccer League: 2013
See also
In Spanish: Jemal Johnson para niños
