Ben Johnson
Johnson playing for West Ham United in 2019
Personal information
Full name Benjamin Anthony Johnson[1]
Date of birth (2000-01-24) 24 January 2000[2]
Place of birth Waltham Forest, England
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[3]
Position(s) Full-back[4]
Team information
Current team
 West Ham United
Number 2
Youth career
2007–2018 West Ham United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018– West Ham United 57 (2)
International career‡
2022–2023 England U21 10 (0)
Medal record
Representing  England
UEFA European Under-21 Championship
Winner2023 Georgia–Romania
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:23, 2 January 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 08:58, 9 July 2023 (UTC)

Benjamin Anthony Johnson (born 24 January 2000) is an English professional footballer who plays as a full-back for Premier League club West Ham United.

Early and personal life

Johnson was born in Waltham Forest, Greater London.[5] He is second cousins with former Manchester United and England full-back Paul Parker and former England and Tottenham Hotspur defender Ledley King.[6] He attended Davenant Foundation School in Loughton, Essex. A Christian, he is a member of All Saints Church in Woodford Green.[7]

Club career

Johnson joined West Ham United at the age of seven. Originally an attacking winger, Johnson was converted to a full-back as his youth career progressed. He was named on the bench for West Ham's 2–1 loss at Manchester City on 3 December 2017,[8] and he signed his first professional contract when he turned 18 in January 2018.[9]

On 27 February 2019, Johnson made his Premier League debut for West Ham, starting at left-back away at champions Manchester City in a 1–0 defeat at the City of Manchester Stadium.[10] Two serious hamstring injuries and the form of fellow defender, Jeremy Ngakia prevented Johnson from making another appearance until 17 July 2020 when he played in West Ham's 3–1 win against Watford.[11][12]

On 27 December 2020, Johnson scored his first goal for the Hammers and first professional goal, against Brighton & Hove Albion to level in a game which finished 2–2.[13]

In August 2021, Johnson won West Ham's Young Player of the Season award, after making 20 appearances for the first team in the 2020–21 season.[14]

On 20 March 2022, during a 3–1 defeat away to Tottenham, Johnson made his 50th first team appearance for West Ham, a month after having a two-year contract extension triggered by the club.[15]

In May 2022, for the second season running, Johnson won the Young Player of the Season award, newly named the Mark Noble Award.[16]

International career

Johnson received his first international call up on 18 March 2022, named in the England U21 squad for vital UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifiers against Andorra and Albania.[17] He made his debut during a 3–0 victory away to the latter on 29 March 2022.[18]

On 14 June 2023, Johnson was in the England squad which won the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship;[19][20] a tournament the Young Lions ultimately went on to win.[21]

Career statistics

As of match played 2 January 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup EFL Cup Europe Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
West Ham United 2018–19 Premier League 100000—10
2019–20 300000—30
2020–21 1413030—201
2021–22 20130308[lower-alpha 1]0341
2022–23 17030108[lower-alpha 2]0290
2023–24 2000201[lower-alpha 1]050
Career total 5729090170922

Honours

West Ham United

England U21

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Premier League publish retained lists". Premier League. 7 June 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  2. ↑ "Ben Johnson". ESPN. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  3. ↑ "Ben Johnson: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  4. ↑ "Ben Johnson". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  5. ↑ "Ben Johnson: Profile". worldfootball.net. HEIM:SPIEL. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  6. ↑ Dave Evans, West Ham Correspondent (28 February 2019). "West Ham youngster steps into the big time with nerveless display". Newham Recorder. Archived from the original on 25 October 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  7. ↑ "Johnson:My faith and my football are connected and always will be". whufc. 12 December 2023. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  8. ↑ "Manchester City 2–1 West Ham United". BBC Sport. 3 December 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  9. ↑ Inkersole, Sam (27 February 2019). "Who is Ben Johnson? The West Ham teen making senior debut against Man City". footballlondon. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  10. ↑ Inkersole, Sam (27 February 2019). "Confirmed West Ham team vs Man City: Johnson makes senior debut". football.london. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  11. ↑ Inkersole, Sam (17 July 2020). "All you need to know about West Ham's Ben Johnson on his second senior start". footballlondon.
  12. ↑ "West Ham United 3-1 Watford: Antonio, Soucek and Rice score". BBC Sport. 17 July 2020.
  13. ↑ "Late Soucek goal earns West Ham a draw". BBC Sport.
  14. ↑ "Ben Johnson and Jayden Fevrier win 2020/21 Academy awards". West Ham United F.C. 6 August 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  15. ↑ "50 up for Academy graduate". Knees Up Mother Brown. 22 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  16. ↑ "Johnson: It's been a great season for me and the team | West Ham United F.C." www.whufc.com.
  17. ↑ "Ben Johnson & Ajibola Alese receive England call-ups". West Ham United F.C. 18 March 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  18. ↑ "Report: Albania 0-3 England MU21s". EnglandFootball.com. 29 March 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  19. ↑ "England MU21s squad named for EURO Finals". EnglandFootball.com. 14 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  20. 1 2 "Johnson wins U21 Euros with England". West Ham United F.C. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  21. ↑ "England win U21 EURO title after 1-0 win over Spain". EnglandFootball.com. 9 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  22. ↑ Stone, Simon (7 June 2023). "Fiorentina 1–2 West Ham United: Jarrod Bowen goal decides Europa Conference League final". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  23. ↑ "As It Happened: 2021/22 Player Awards brought to you by Betway in aid of the Academy". West Ham United F.C. 9 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
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