Johnson as a Lokomotiv Sofia player in 2011. |
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jemal Jermaine Johnson[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 3 May 1985 | ||
| Place of birth | Paterson, New Jersey, United States | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Playing position | 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 | 11 | (1) |
| 2011 | Southend United | 5 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 00:00, 30 November 2011 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). |
|||
Jemal Jermaine Johnson (born 3 May 1985) is an Anglo-American soccer player who is without a club after departing English League Two side Southend United in December 2011.
He started his career at Premier League Blackburn Rovers, making several appearances for the club between 2004 and 2006, having graduated through the club's academy. After a season at Wolverhampton Wanderers, he joined Milton Keynes Dons in summer 2007. As well as these three clubs, he has also enjoyed loan periods at Preston North End, Darlington, Leeds United, Stockport County, and Port Vale. He spent the first half of 2011 with Bulgarian side Lokomotiv Sofia, before returning to England in the summer to sign for Southend United; he was sacked by Southend in December 2011.
Contents |
Though born in the United States, Johnson's family moved to Macclesfield when he was five years old.[2] Originally signed by Manchester United, Johnson joined Blackburn Rovers' Academy when he was sixteen.
Johnson made his first team debut as a substitute in Rovers' FA Cup Third Round 1-1 tie at Cardiff City on 8 January 2005, replacing Paul Dickov after 89 minutes. He scored his first senior goal, in his first start, on 29 January at Ewood Park, in Blackburn's Fourth Round 3–0 victory over Colchester United.[3] He also played in the Fifth Round goalless draw with Burnley at Turf Moor, but played not further part in Rovers' semi-final run. He also made three substitute appearances in the Premier League during the 2004–05 season.
In October 2005 he joined Championship side Preston North End on loan,[4] he played just three games at Deepdale, but did score against Hull City.[5]
In March 2006 he joined League Two Darlington on a six week loan,[6][7][8] manager David Hodgson having tracked him since July 2004.[9] Johnson scored three times in nine starts.
Having failed to establish himself in the Rovers first team, Johnson joined Championship club Wolverhampton Wanderers in August 2006 for an undisclosed fee.[10] He scored two match-winning goals in his first two league games for the club - to the delight of manager Mick McCarthy,[11] but by the end of the season he scored just one further goal. He joined Leeds United on a three month loan in February 2007, but had a frustrating time at Elland Road, making just five appearances. Back at Molineux he was placed on the transfer list.[12]
In August 2007, Paul Ince's Milton Keynes Dons paid an undisclosed fee for Johnson, and he signed a two year contract.[13] In his first season at the club, he scored some vital goals, including one against Swansea City to help get the Dons into the Football League Trophy final. He also played at Wembley in the final itself, as the Dons beat Grimsby Town 2-0 to lift the trophy. He also helped the club top the League Two table.
Johnson struck six times in 2008-09, as the Dons finished two points off an automatic promotion place to the Championship. He did not feature in the play-off encounter with eventual promotion winners Scunthorpe United. His contract ran out in May 2009;[14][15] however, he re-signed with the club in July 2009,[16] penning a new two year deal after former Wolves player Paul Ince returned to the management post.[17]
Despite starting the 2009–10 season well,[18] scoring a hat-trick against Northampton Town in a pre-season friendly,[19] he lost his first team place in November. In January 2010, MK Dons announced that Johnson was to join League One Stockport County on loan for the remaining six months of the season, alongside teammates Jabo Ibehre, Danny Swailes and Richie Partridge.[20][21] All four MK Dons players, plus Colchester United's David Perkins started for County against Swindon Town on 19 January.[22] He went on to score two goals in sixteen appearances for Stockport during his loan spell, as the club dropped out of the league in bottom place – a whole 25 points from safety.
Johnson had trials with two Major League Soccer clubs in August 2010 – D.C. United[23] and Kansas City Wizards,[24] but neither club offered him a contract. New Zealand club Wellington Phoenix FC did offer him a contract, though nothing came of the offer.[25] Back at Stadium mk he once again found himself on the bench. He joined Port Vale on a one month loan in September 2010,[26][27] manager Micky Adams intending to use the player on the wing following Lewis Haldane's injury and Abdulai Bell-Baggie's departure.[28] Vale seemed to have extended Johnson's loan spell by a further month, however his parent club recalled him at the last minute.[29] In January 2011 Johnson left Milton Keynes Dons when his contract was terminated by mutual consent.[30]
In January 2011, he rejected offers from English league clubs and instead moved to Bulgaria to play for top-flight side Lokomotiv Sofia.[31] On 28 February, he made his first appearance for the "Railwaymen" in a 2–0 home win against Montana. He left the club by mutual consent in the summer, following a fourth place finish in the league.
In July 2011, Johnson returned to England to sign a twelve month contract (with an option to extend) with League Two side Southend United.[32] He made two starts and five substitute appearances for the "Shrimpers" before 28 October,[33] when he was place under police arrest for his alleged role in a fight outside a nightclub in Ilford.[34][35] On 30 November, Southend United confirmed that he was under a two week club suspension whilst a 'full review' into his actions took place.[36][37] Three weeks later the club announced that he would be sacked.[38]
| Club performance | League | Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| England | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||||
| 2004–05[39] | Blackburn Rovers | Premier League | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| 2005–06[40] | Blackburn Rovers | Premier League | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 2005–06[40] | Preston North End | Championship | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 2005–06[40] | Darlington | League Two | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 3 |
| 2006–07[41] | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Championship | 20 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 3 |
| 2006–07[41] | Leeds United | Championship | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 2007–08[42] | Milton Keynes Dons | League Two | 39 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 8 |
| 2008–09[43] | Milton Keynes Dons | League One | 33 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 6 |
| 2009–10[44] | Milton Keynes Dons | League One | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 1 |
| 2009–10[44] | Stockport County | League One | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 2 |
| 2010–11[45] | Milton Keynes Dons | League One | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| 2010–11[45] | Port Vale | League Two | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Bulgaria | League | Bulgarian Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||||
| 2010–11 | Lokomotiv Sofia | A PFG | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 |
| Total | Bulgaria | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | |
| England | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||||
| 2011–12[46] | Southend United | League Two | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Total | England | 166 | 20 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 193 | 25 | |
| Career total | 177 | 21 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 205 | 26 | ||