Damien Johnson
{{short description|Northern Irish footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2012}}
{{BLP sources|date=January 2009}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Damien Johnson
| image = Damien Johnson.jpg
| upright =
| caption = Johnson in 2004 pre-season
| fullname = Damien Michael Johnson
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1978|11|18|df=y}}
| birth_place = Lisburn, Northern Ireland
| height = {{height|ft=5|in=9}}
| position = Midfielder
| currentclub = Blackburn Rovers
(first team technical coach & head of player development)
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 =
| years1 = 1994–1995 | clubs1 = Portadown | caps1 = 3 | goals1 = 0
| years2 = 1997–2002 | clubs2 = Blackburn Rovers{{efn-ua|name=Sbase|Soccerbase omits appearances for both Blackburn Rovers and Birmingham City.}} | caps2 = 60 | goals2 = 3
| years3 = 1998 | clubs3 = → Nottingham Forest (loan) | caps3 = 6 | goals3 = 0
| years4 = 2002–2010 | clubs4 = Birmingham City{{efn-ua|name=Sbase}} | caps4 = 193 | goals4 = 4
| years5 = 2010–2012 | clubs5 = Plymouth Argyle | caps5 = 20 | goals5 = 2
| years6 = 2010–2011 | clubs6 = → Huddersfield Town (loan) | caps6 = 16 | goals6 = 0
| years7 = 2011–2012 | clubs7 = → Huddersfield Town (loan) | caps7 = 18 | goals7 = 0
| years8 = 2012–2013 | clubs8 = Fleetwood Town | caps8 = 22 | goals8 = 0
| totalcaps = 338 | totalgoals = 9
| nationalyears1 = 1998–1999 | nationalteam1 = Northern Ireland U16 | nationalcaps1 = 2 | nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 1998–1999 | nationalteam2 = Northern Ireland U17 | nationalcaps2 = 1 | nationalgoals2 = 1
| nationalyears3 = 1998–1999 | nationalteam3 = Northern Ireland U18 | nationalcaps3 = 2 | nationalgoals3 = 0
| nationalyears4 = 1998–1999 | nationalteam4 = Northern Ireland U21 | nationalcaps4 = 11 | nationalgoals4 = 0
| nationalyears5 = 1999–2010 | nationalteam5 = Northern Ireland | nationalcaps5 = 56 | nationalgoals5 = 0
}}
Damien Michael Johnson (born 18 November 1978) is a Northern Irish football coach and former international player. Since 2019 he has been first team technical coach & head of player development at Blackburn Rovers.
He began his career with Portadown in his native Northern Ireland from whom he signed as a trainee for Blackburn Rovers and spent seven years with the club, as well as spending time on loan with Nottingham Forest. He moved to Birmingham City in 2002, where he spent the next eight seasons and became the club's captain. Johnson was transferred to Plymouth Argyle in 2010, spent the 2010–11 and 2011–12 season on loan to Huddersfield Town, and finished his playing career with Fleetwood Town in 2012–13.
He played for his country at schoolboy and youth levels before representing the Northern Ireland senior team over an eleven-year period, earning 56 caps.{{cite web |url=https://nifootball.blogspot.co.uk/2007/01/damien-johnson.html |title=Damien Johnson |website=NIFG |editor-first=Jonny |editor-last=Dewart |date=12 January 2007 |access-date=8 April 2018}}
Club career
=Blackburn Rovers=
His first English team was Blackburn Rovers, for whom Johnson signed as a trainee, from Portadown in 1997, making his debut in the League Cup on 30 September 1997, a 1–0 defeat to Preston North End, in which he picked up a yellow card.
Loaned to Nottingham Forest on 28 January 1998, Johnson played in five games, and, despite accruing a yellow card in his last February appearance, performed well for the team.
Blackburn won the 2002 League Cup final a few days before Johnson left the club. Despite not being part of the squad for the final Johnson had contributed to a few games earlier in the cup run, including scoring a goal against Manchester City.{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/worthington_cup/1678672.stm |title=Rovers beat 10-man City |publisher=BBC |date=28 November 2001 |access-date =20 December 2016}}
=Birmingham City=
Having dropped down the pecking order at Blackburn and out of contract at the end of the season, Johnson signed for Championship club Birmingham City on 8 March 2002. The fee was officially undisclosed,{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/1861185.stm |title=Blues snap up Johnson |work=BBC Sport |date=8 March 2002 |access-date=8 April 2018}} but later reported on Birmingham's website as £50,000.
In September 2004, he signed a new three-year contract.{{cite web |url=http://world.bcfc.com/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10412~562007,00.html |title=Jonty signs new deal |publisher=Birmingham City F.C. |date=9 September 2004 |access-date=8 April 2018 |archive-date=9 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180409043905/http://world.bcfc.com/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10412~562007,00.html |url-status=dead }} He was voted Birmingham's Player of the Year for 2005–06.{{cite news |url=https://www.business-live.co.uk/news/local-news/johnson-collects-blues-awards-3983262 |title=Johnson collects Blues awards |newspaper=Birmingham Post |date=4 May 2006 |access-date=24 October 2019 |via=business-live.co.uk}}
Johnson was named the Birmingham City captain for the 2006–07 season but in one of his first games as captain, he angered fans when he first threw his captain's armband and then his shirt on the floor when he was substituted late on.{{cite news |url=https://www.birminghampost.co.uk/news/local-news/blues-own-captain-chaos-3979673 |title=Blues' own captain chaos |newspaper=Birmingham Post |date=21 August 2006 |access-date=8 April 2018}}
{{cite news |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11694/2387227/johnson-offers-blues-apology |title=Johnson offers Blues apology |first=Alex |last=Dunn |publisher=Sky Sports |date=August 2006 |access-date=8 April 2018}}
{{cite news |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/bruce-why-ill-stick-by-johnson-25489 |title=Bruce: Why I'll stick by Johnson |first=Colin |last=Tattum |newspaper=Birmingham Mail |date=22 August 2006 |access-date=8 April 2018}} On 28 October, his jaw was broken in two places after he was elbowed in the face by West Bromwich Albion defender Paul Robinson. Despite the injury, he played on for the remaining 10 minutes of the match.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/6096876.stm |title=Birmingham skipper fractures jaw |work=BBC Sport |date=29 October 2006 |access-date=8 April 2018}}
{{cite news |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/ill-shake-robinsons-hand---29070 |title=I'll shake Robinson's hand – Johnson |first=Colin |last=Tattum |newspaper=Birmingham Mail |date=5 December 2006 |access-date=8 April 2018}} He signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract in December, to run until the end of the 2009–10 season.{{cite news |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/johnson-delighted-with-new-blues-deal-29069 |title=Johnson delighted with new Blues deal |first=Colin |last=Tattum |newspaper=Birmingham Mail |date=5 December 2006 |access-date=8 April 2018}}
At the opening of the 2007–08 season Johnson injured a hamstring in a pre-season friendly. Further injuries followed, and he did not make his first league appearance of the season until 15 December, replacing the suspended Mehdi Nafti.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/birmingham_city/7026198.stm |title=Johnson suffers fresh injury blow |work=BBC Sport |date=3 October 2007 |access-date=8 April 2018}}{{cite news |url=https://www.birminghampost.co.uk/news/local-news/johnson-leads-example-comeback-3965327 |title=Johnson leads by example in comeback |first=Brian |last=Dick |newspaper=Birmingham Post |date=18 December 2007 |access-date=8 April 2018}}
In all Johnson made 216 appearances for Birmingham City,{{cite book |last=Matthews |first=Tony |title=Birmingham City: The Complete Record |publisher=Derby Books |location=Derby |year=2010 |pages=438–455 |isbn=978-1-85983-853-2}} with 150 of those in the Premier League.{{cite web |url=https://www.premierleague.com/players/1336/Damien-Johnson/overview |title=Damien Johnson |publisher=Premier League |access-date=8 April 2018}}
=Plymouth Argyle=
Johnson joined Championship club Plymouth Argyle on a free transfer on 1 February 2010, signing a two-and-a-half-year contract.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/p/plymouth_argyle/8492265.stm |title=Damien Johnson joins Plymouth from Birmingham City |work=BBC Sport |date=1 February 2010 |access-date=8 April 2018}} Birmingham manager Alex McLeish described him as "always a terrier of a player [who] gave us fantastic commitment ... and played a significant part in us returning to the Premier League", and wished him all the best.{{cite web |url=http://world.bcfc.com/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10412~1951311,00.html |title=Jonty joins Pilgrims |publisher=Birmingham City F.C. |date=1 February 2010 |access-date=8 April 2018}}
He scored his first goal for Argyle in his fourth appearance, on 16 February against Swansea City, and finished the season with two goals from 20 league matches.{{soccerbase season|12653|2009|access-date=8 April 2018}}
=Huddersfield Town=
==2010–11 season==
On 5 August 2010, he joined Huddersfield Town on a season-long loan deal with a view to a permanent move.{{cite web |title=Midfielder Johnson Signs on Loan |url=http://www.htafc.com/page/NewsDetail/0,,10312~2112452,00.html |publisher=Huddersfield Town F.C. |date=5 August 2010 |access-date=2010-08-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310063741/http://www.htafc.com/page/NewsDetail/0%2C%2C10312~2112452%2C00.html |archive-date=10 March 2012}} He made his Terriers debut two days later as a late substitute in the 3–0 win over Notts County at Meadow Lane.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/8842034.stm |title=Notts County 0–3 Huddersfield |work=BBC Sport |date=7 August 2010 |access-date=2010-08-07}} In December 2010, he suffered a cruciate ligament injury against Brighton which ruled him out for the remainder of the season.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/h/huddersfield_town/9289339.stm |title=Huddersfield midfielder Damien Johnson out for season |work=BBC Sport |date=15 December 2010 |access-date=2011-03-25}} Johnson remained at the club until the end of the season to complete his rehabilitation and was nominated for the Player of the Year award. In all, he made 23 appearances.
==2011–12 season==
The club confirmed on 18 July 2011 that he was set to sign on another season-long loan deal,{{cite news |url=http://www.htafc.com/page/NewsDetail/0,,10312~2395586,00.html |title=JOHNSON SET FOR RETURN TO HUDDERSFIELD TOWN |publisher=htafc.com |date=18 July 2011 |access-date=18 July 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406222234/http://www.htafc.com/page/NewsDetail/0%2C%2C10312~2395586%2C00.html |archive-date=6 April 2012 }} which was confirmed the next day. His second debut for the Terriers came in the 3–0 win against Sheffield United at Brammall Lane on 13 September 2011.
=Fleetwood Town=
On 7 June 2012, Johnson joined newly promoted League Two club Fleetwood Town.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/18351952 |title=Fleetwood sign Northern Ireland international Damien Johnson |work=BBC Sport |date=7 June 2012 |access-date=6 December 2016}} Just over a year later, on 9 October 2013, Johnson left the club by mutual consent.{{cite news |url=http://www.fleetwoodtownfc.com/news/article/highbury-round-up-1106604.aspx |title=Highbury round-up |publisher=Fleetwood Town F.C. |date=9 October 2013 |access-date=10 October 2013}}
International career
Johnson earned his first Northern Ireland call up on 29 May 1999, when he came on as a substitute in the 1–0 away win against the Republic of Ireland. Further appearances as substitute followed against Finland, Luxembourg, Malta, and Hungary, before he made his first full appearance versus Yugoslavia at Windsor Park, Belfast, in August 2000.
After a period when his international appearances were restricted by serious injury, Johnson made his 49th appearance for NI in the 3–0 World Cup Qualifying victory in San Marino on 11 February 2009, when he was the BBC's "Man of the Match".
On 29 July 2010, Johnson announced his retirement from international football after making 56 appearances for the team.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/irish/8866972.stm |title=Damien Johnson calls time on Northern Ireland career |work=BBC Sport |date=29 July 2010 |access-date=2010-08-05}}
Coaching career
Following his retirement from football, Johnson went into coaching, completing his coaching qualifications and gaining experience assisting at various clubs including Everton.
=Blackburn Rovers=
In April 2015, Johnson returned to Blackburn Rovers, the club at which he began his English career, as U14 academy coach.{{cite news |url=http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/12864976.Damien_Johnson_returns_to_Blackburn_Rovers_in_coaching_capacity/ |title=Damien Johnson returns to Blackburn Rovers in coaching capacity |first=Paul |last=Wheelock |newspaper=Lancashire Telegraph |date=1 April 2015 |access-date=8 April 2018}} After three months he was appointed U21 lead coach, a post which was redesignated professional development phase lead coach when the development squad began to compete at under-23 level.{{cite web |url=https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2015/july/johnson-takes-up-under-21-role/ |title=Johnson takes up Under-21 role |publisher=Blackburn Rovers F.C. |date=9 July 2015 |access-date=8 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180409043031/https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2015/july/johnson-takes-up-under-21-role/ |archive-date=9 April 2018}}{{cite web |url=https://www.rovers.co.uk/teams/backroom-staff/ |title=Backroom staff |publisher=Blackburn Rovers F.C. |access-date=8 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180331225201/https://www.rovers.co.uk/teams/backroom-staff/ |archive-date=31 March 2018}} In July 2019 he was promoted to first team technical coach & head of player development,{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48837294 |title=Damien Johnson: Former NI midfielder promoted to first-team coaching staff at Rovers |website=BBC Sport |date=2 July 2019 |access-date=27 November 2022}} a post he still held {{as of|August 2024|lc=y}}.{{cite web |url=https://www.rovers.co.uk/club/staff |title=Staff |publisher=Blackburn Rovers F.C. |access-date=20 August 2024}}
In July 2020, Northern Ireland manager Ian Baraclough added Johnson to his coaching team in addition to his duties at Blackburn,{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53277357 |title=Damien Johnson joins new NI manager Ian Baraclough's coaching team |website=BBC Sport |date=3 July 2020 |access-date=20 August 2024}} but Johnson gave up the role within a year for personal reasons.{{cite news |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A673574369/STND?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-STND&xid=0f184f70 |title=Time for Bara to become a fans' favourite |newspaper=Sunday Life |location=Belfast |date=29 August 2021 |page=80 |access-date=20 August 2024 |via=Gale OneFile |url-access=subscription}} In February 2024, he and fellow coach David Lowe took temporary charge of Blackburn for their 3–1 Championship win over Stoke City while waiting for new manager John Eustace to take over formally.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68189963 |title=Blackburn Rovers 3–1 Stoke City – Tyrhys Dolan double helps Rovers end bad run against Potters |website=BBC Sport |date=10 February 2024 |access-date=20 August 2024}}
Career statistics
=Club=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition{{cite web |url=https://www.enfa.co.uk/playersearch.php |title=Player search: Johnson, DM (Damien) |website=English National Football Archive |access-date=26 September 2020 |url-access=subscription}} | ||||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National Cup{{efn|Includes Irish Cup, FA Cup}} !colspan="2"|League Cup{{efn|Includes Irish League Cup, Football League Cup}} !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Portadown | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 1 |
| rowspan="6"|Blackburn Rovers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 1 | 0 | |
| 1998–99
|Premier League | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 1 |
| 1999–2000 | 16 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 23 | 1 | |
| 2000–01
|First Division | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 22 | 0 | |
| 2001–02
|Premier League | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | 12 | 2 | |
| colspan="2"|Total
!60||3||7||0||15||1||1||0||83||4 | ||||||||||
| Nottingham Forest (loan)
|First Division | 6 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 6 | 0 | |||
| rowspan="10"|Birmingham City
|First Division | 8 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 1{{efn|Appearance in First Division play-offs}} | 0 | 9 | 1 | ||
| 2002–03
|Premier League | 30 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 32 | 1 | |
| 2003–04
|Premier League | 35 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 40 | 1 | |
| 2004–05
|Premier League | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 37 | 1 | |
| 2005–06
|Premier League | 31 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 38 | 0 | |
| 2006–07 | 26 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 29 | 0 | |
| 2007–08
|Premier League | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 18 | 0 | |
| 2008–09
|Championship | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 10 | 0 | |
| 2009–10
|Premier League | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 3 | 0 | |
| colspan="2"|Total
!193||4||15||0||7||0||1||0||216||4 | ||||||||||
| Plymouth Argyle
|Championship | 20 | 2 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 20 | 2 | |||
| rowspan="3"|Huddersfield Town (loan) | 16 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2{{efn|Appearances in Football League Trophy}} | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| 2011–12
|League One | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3{{efn|Appearances in League One play-offs}} | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| colspan="2"|Total
!34||0||3||0||2||0||5||0||44||0 | ||||||||||
| Fleetwood Town | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| colspan="3"|Career total
!338||9||27||0||25||1||9||1||398||11 |
{{notelist}}
=International=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year{{NFT|4897|accessdate=26 September 2020}} | ||
| National team||Year||Apps||Goals | ||
|---|---|---|
| rowspan="12"|Northern Ireland
|1999 | 2 | 0 |
| 2000 | 6 | 0 |
| 2001 | 5 | 0 |
| 2002 | 6 | 0 |
| 2003 | 7 | 0 |
| 2004 | 9 | 0 |
| 2005 | 7 | 0 |
| 2006 | 2 | 0 |
| 2007 | 2 | 0 |
| 2008 | 2 | 0 |
| 2009 | 8 | 0 |
| Total||56||0 |
Honours
Notes
{{notelist-ua}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Soccerbase}}
{{Birmingham City F.C. Player of the Year}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Damien}}
Category:Association footballers from Lisburn
Category:Men's association footballers from Northern Ireland
Category:Northern Ireland men's international footballers
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Portadown F.C. players
Category:Blackburn Rovers F.C. players
Category:Nottingham Forest F.C. players
Category:Birmingham City F.C. players
Category:Plymouth Argyle F.C. players
Category:Huddersfield Town A.F.C. players
Category:Fleetwood Town F.C. players
Category:Premier League players
Category:English Football League players
Category:Blackburn Rovers F.C. non-playing staff
Category:Northern Ireland men's under-21 international footballers
Category:Northern Ireland men's youth international footballers