english association football player ( born 1987 )

Adam Johnson ( wear 14 July 1987 ) is an english inactive professional football player who played as a winger. A intersection of the Middlesbrough youth academy, he came to bulge after making his debut aged 17 in a UEFA Cup equal. He made 120 appearances for Middlesbrough, besides spending clock time on loan at Leeds United and Watford.

In February 2010 he moved to Manchester City, where he won the FA Cup in 2011 and the Premier League the stick to season. He was signed by his hometown baseball club Sunderland for £10 million in 2012. Johnson played at versatile levels for England, earning 12 caps at aged flush. In March 2015, Johnson was arrested and charged over sexual activity with a 15-year-old girlfriend, with England ‘s age of consent being 16. Johnson continued to play for Sunderland during his bail. The be February, he pleaded guilty to two charges against him, the other being one of child dressing, [ 4 ] and was subsequently sacked by Sunderland. In March 2016, Johnson was found guilty of intimate activeness with a child and sentenced to six years in prison. [ 3 ] He was released in 2019 after serving half his sentence. [ 5 ]

early life

Johnson was born in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear and brought up in Easington, County Durham, in North East England. [ 6 ] Johnson played for Cleveland Juniors Football Club and attended Easington Community Science College. [ 7 ] Upon seeing Johnson grade two goals at a Wembley Stadium seven-a-side school match, Johnny Haynes told Johnson he was “ a great little musician ” with “ a adorable entrust foot ”. [ 8 ]

Club career

Middlesbrough

early career

At the senesce of 12, [ 9 ] Johnson was taken in by Middlesbrough ‘s youth academy, having previously attended Newcastle United ‘s Centre of Excellence between 1995 and 1997. [ 10 ] He and his Boro teammates David Wheater, Tony McMahon and Andrew Taylor were character of the squad that won the 2003–04 FA Youth Cup. [ 11 ] He made his senior début aged 17 on 17 March 2005 in the UEFA Cup in the 1–0 defeat away to Sporting CP which saw the club eliminated 4–2 on aggregate in the last 16, replacing Doriva for the last 11 minutes. [ 12 ] Almost six months late, on 10 September, he made his Premier League debut, and first gear elder depart, deputising for the hurt colleague academy intersection Stewart Downing in a 2–1 home win against Arsenal. [ 13 ] For a lot of the first half of the 2005–06 season, he was on the workbench as an idle substitute, chiefly in the UEFA Cup matches. [ citation needed ] He made his second base begin in the competition against Litex Lovech on 15 December and set up Massimo Maccarone ‘s beginning goal in a 2–0 succeed. [ 14 ] For the pillow of the season, he remained in the team ‘s matchday squads, albeit as Downing ‘s deputy or an unused stand-in. [ 10 ] Johnson ‘s first goal for Middlesbrough came in a wednesday Premier League match away to Bolton Wanderers on 3 May 2006, opening the grade in a 1–1 draw with “ a labyrinthine prevail from the left flank before curling in a parry dart ”. [ 15 ] He was playing due to Middlesbrough ‘s engagement in the 2006 UEFA Cup Final, which was to be played a week late as Steve McClaren rested most of the first gear team police squad. [ citation needed ] On 30 June 2006, he signed a new four-year condense propagation. [ 16 ]

Loans to Leeds United and Watford

On 16 October 2006, he joined Leeds United on a month-long lend after being signed by Leeds ‘ caretaker director John Carver, but with Leeds struggling in the Championship, it was hard for Johnson to impress despite getting the man of the equal award on his debut. [ citation needed ] After playing four matches during his month-long lend while, Johnson returned to Middlesbrough as Leeds chose not to extend his loan. [ 17 ] Later on in the temper, he came on as a substitute in the FA Cup replay with Bristol City and played a vital role in seeing Middlesbrough through to the future round by setting up one goal and scoring the winning penalty in the gunfight. [ citation needed ] In September 2007, Johnson joined Championship club Watford on a three-month loan. [ 18 ] He played 12 matches for the club, scoring five times, before being recalled to Middlesbrough earlier than stipulated in the deal following some brilliant performances. [ citation needed ] Coincidentally, Watford ‘s form dipped after his deviation. [ 19 ]

return to Middlesbrough

In the final match of the season, he scored an 18-yard strike from a loose ball just minutes after coming on as a substitute in Boro ‘s 8–1 victory over Manchester City. [ 20 ] In the 2008–09 season, he managed to make 32 appearances, half of those as substitutes as Downing was first choice. [ 19 ] [ 21 ] He managed to start most of the fixtures near the end of the season when Downing was ruled out with a long-run injury. [ citation needed ] Johnson became an important separate of Boro ‘s Championship team for the 2009–10 season following Downing ‘s transfer to Aston Villa, scoring three of Boro ‘s five goals in the first three matches. [ 22 ] [ 23 ] He led the Boro score charts, with eight goals, for the entire first gear half of the season despite being a winger, which led to newly coach Gordon Strachan expressing his concern about overrelying on Johnson for goals. [ citation needed ] In the 18 August match at Scunthorpe United, he missed a penalty awarded for a foul on Rhys Williams and scored another after being tripped by the Scunthorpe goalkeeper in the penalty box when both went for the rally. [ 24 ] After a bright start to the season, the highly rated child became a topic of transfer rumours, but the Boro management insisted that he would not be sold. [ 25 ] [ 26 ] He chose not to extend his contract, however, which was to end after the 2009–10 season. [ citation needed ] On 13 December, he was substituted for Marvin Emnes after picking up a hamstring injury in the 1–0 home personnel casualty to Cardiff City [ 27 ] but returned to score a punishment against Scunthorpe in a 3–0 succeed, therefore taking his goal reckoning into double figures. [ citation needed ] He scored a brace for the third time in the season when he turned in a man of the equal performance against Doncaster Rovers on 26 January to end Boro ‘s winless away streak stretching back to October. [ 28 ] In recognition of his consistent performances, Johnson was voted for the North East Football Writers ‘ Young Player of the Year prize, [ 29 ] joining a chain of Boro players to do so. [ citation needed ]

Manchester City

When the winter transfer window opened, Johnson was again the subject of transfer guess and Middlesbrough reportedly received a bid from Manchester City. [ 30 ] interest from Manchester City was heightened after Adam Johnson played City weeks earlier in an FA Cup third gear round. [ citation needed ] Although Johnson had to go off injured in the first half, he was arguably the best player on the pitch during his 30-minute enchantment. [ 31 ] On 1 February 2010, City signed him for an undisclosed fee, rumoured to be in the region of £7 million, on a four-and-a-half-year narrow. [ 32 ] [ 33 ] [ 34 ] Johnson made his first appearance for the golf club on 6 February, coming on as utility for Stephen Ireland against Hull City. [ 35 ] Three days late, he made his first base start against Bolton Wanderers on the right side of a three-man attack alongside Carlos Tevez and Emmanuel Adebayor, finishing as the man of the match. [ 36 ] Johnson scored his first gear goal against Sunderland ; he curled a left footed campaign into the top corner one and a one-half minutes into wound time to secure a last-gasp 1–1 draw. [ 37 ] His performance, which earned the man of the couple prize, [ 38 ] led England director Fabio Capello to publicly praise him and consider him for selection. [ 39 ] On New Year ‘s Day, he scored the winner in the 1–0 gain against Blackpool, dedicating his finish to Dale Roberts, his acquaintance and Rushden & Diamonds goalkeeper who committed suicide on 14 December 2010. [ 40 ] He ended the season with his first elder trophy of his career, the 2011 FA Cup, coming on as a stand-in in the final examination. [ 41 ] After scoring in two 3–0 wins against Inter Milan and League of Ireland XI in the pre-season Dublin Super Cup, he started in Manchester City ‘s first Premier League catch of the season against Swansea City, getting an help as his shot was saved by Michel Vorm and the rebound scored by Edin Džeko. [ citation needed ] City went on to win the match 4–0. [ 42 ] He scored his inaugural goal of the season during a 4–0 acquire against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park, curling a shot into the peak corner to make the score 1–0 at the time. [ 43 ] He followed it up with a goal in the adjacent catch against Aston Villa, with the equal finishing 4–1 to City. [ 44 ] On 26 October 2011, he scored and got an help in a 5–2 League Cup win against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux. [ 45 ] Three days later, he again scored against Wolves, this time in a 3–1 home league win. [ 46 ] In the next round, he assisted the lone goal of the equal, playing a through-ball for Sergio Agüero to score, in a 1–0 acquire aside to Arsenal. [ citation needed ] He came on as a late bomber in a 5–1 home win over Norwich City and scored his fifth goal of the season. [ 47 ] His one-sixth goal of the season came in a 3–0 succeed against Stoke City on 21 December. [ 48 ] On 14 April, he scored in a 6–1 win against Norwich at Carrow Road. [ 49 ] He ended that season with 26 league appearances as Manchester City won the 2011–12 Premier League in dramatic circumstances on the concluding day of the season. [ 50 ]

sunderland

On 24 August 2012, his hometown team Sunderland signed Johnson on a four-year-contract for £10 million. [ 51 ] Sunderland director Martin O’Neill said “ Adding quality players to the squad has been our main aim this summer and Adam surely fits that bill. He has fantastic ability, great pitch and I ‘m sure he is a player who will excite the fans. I could n’t be more delight to have him at the club. ” [ 52 ] On 28 August, Johnson made his beginning appearance for Sunderland in a 2–0 gain over League Two team Morecambe in the League Cup second attack, assisting both goals at the Stadium of Light. [ 53 ] He scored his first goal for the club on 10 November, opening the score in a 1–2 defeat away to Everton. [ 54 ] He scored the only finish of a gain over early baseball club Manchester City at home on 26 December. [ citation needed ] In April 2013, against Sunderland ‘s ferocious rivals Newcastle at St James ‘ Park, Johnson ‘s picked up the ball on Sunderland ‘s proper and cut inside before sending a curled attempt past Newcastle goalkeeper Rob Elliot with his left foot to score. [ 55 ] Johnson ‘s first goal of the 2013–14 season came in the League Cup against Milton Keynes Dons after a melt from his own half, as Sunderland scored four goals in 12 minutes to win 4–2. [ 56 ] however, his form suffered as Sunderland struggled to one point from the beginning eight matches, a carry that cost director Paolo Di Canio his job. [ citation needed ] Johnson ‘s next goal came in a 2–1 home kill to Tottenham on 7 December. [ 57 ]

After losing his place in the begin wrinkle up, the FA Cup third base turn match with Carlisle United marked a turning detail in Johnson ‘s fortunes as he scored a complimentary kick and played a part in both other goals in Sunderland ‘s 3–1 succeed. [ 58 ] Two days late, Johnson was brought on as a substitute in the League Cup semi-final first leg against Manchester United, and won a penalty after being fouled by Tom Cleverley, which Fabio Borini scored to give Sunderland a 2–1 advantage going into the second leg. Manager Gus Poyet praised Johnson ‘s contribution as ‘outstanding ‘. [ 59 ] On 11 January 2014, he scored his inaugural career hat-trick and assisted Ki Sung-Yueng, inspiring Sunderland to a 4–1 away win against Fulham which lifted them off the bottom of the table. [ 60 ] He was the Premier League Player of the Month for January 2014. [ 61 ] On 2 March in the League Cup Final against Manchester City, he assisted Borini for the opening goal in the tenth moment, but Sunderland lost 1–3. [ 62 ]
Johnson playing for Sunderland in 2015 His first goal of the 2014–15 season came on 27 August in the League Cup against Birmingham City, where he scored the irregular goal in a 3–0 win. [ 63 ] His first league goal of the season came on 13 September, where he scored a solo attempt in a 2–2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur at the Stadium of Light. [ 64 ] On 21 December he scored a 90th-minute succeed goal away to Newcastle, securing Sunderland ‘s 4th consecutive acquire over their local rivals, and his third gear finish in three seasons against the club. [ 65 ] Five days subsequently, Johnson opened the score after precisely 30 seconds against Hull City, but was ineffective to help the team debar defeat as they went on to lose 1–3. [ 66 ] He scored his one-fifth goal of the season on New Years Day 2015, scoring from a penalty to make the score 2–2 against Manchester City, although Sunderland would go on to lose the meet 3–2. [ 67 ] He was immediately suspended by Sunderland on 2 March 2015 after his apprehension on misgiving of having intimate activity with a 15-year-old girl ,. [ 68 ] His suspension lasted for 2 matches under coach Gus Poyet ; following Poyet ‘s dismissal and the appointment of raw coach Dick Advocaat on 17 March, Johnson returned to the club on 18 March and played in the future game on 21 March. [ 69 ] Despite Johnson late being charged with three offences, Sunderland continued to select him while he initially pleaded not guilty to all charges. [ 70 ] [ 71 ] During Johnson ‘s trial, he claimed that he admitted to Sunderland in May 2015 that he had kissed the girlfriend and sent her sexually explicit messages. [ 72 ] Having played the inaugural match of the new season, Johnson picked up an injury in August 2015, putting him out for two months. [ 73 ] On 25 October, he scored a penalty in the Tyne–Wear bowler hat, opening the score before half time in an eventual 3–0 gain. [ 74 ] Johnson played what would be his last match for Sunderland on 6 February 2016, the weekend before the start of his trial, scoring one of Sunderland ‘s goals in a 2–2 drawing card with Liverpool. [ 75 ] Five days belated Johnson had his contract terminated after he pleaded guilty to sexual natural process with a child under the age of 16 and grooming. [ 76 ]

International career

A erstwhile England under-19 international, [ 77 ] Johnson was called up for the under-21 team at the 2009 UEFA U21 Championships in Sweden. [ citation needed ] He scored once in qualification [ 78 ] and again in the first peg of the qualification play-offs against Wales U21s as the Young Lions narrowly won 5–4 on aggregate to qualify for the tournament. [ citation needed ] During the tournament, he started in two of the three group degree matches. [ citation needed ] He won the man of the match prize in the concluding group stage match against Germany that ended in a 1–1 guide [ 79 ] and converted his penalty in the semi-final shoot-out win against Sweden. [ citation needed ] In late February 2010, Johnson was named in the elder squad for the foremost time in Fabio Capello ‘s 30-man short list for the approaching March friendly against Egypt in May, but did not make the final examination 23. [ 80 ] Two months later, Capello named Johnson in his preliminary 30-man 2010 FIFA World Cup team. [ 81 ] Johnson made his England introduction on 24 May in a FIFA World Cup warm-up match, a 3–1 friendly victory against Mexico at Wembley Stadium. [ citation needed ] Johnson came on as a late substitute for James Milner. The follow week Capello announced his final 23-man team, and Johnson failed to make the cut. [ 82 ] England ‘s first match after the 2010 FIFA World Cup was against Hungary at Wembley Stadium. [ 83 ] [ 84 ] Johnson was named in the starting line-up for the first time, making his broad England debut and playing the entire match. [ 85 ] He scored his first external goal on 3 September 2010 against Bulgaria in a UEFA Euro 2012 modifier, which England won 4–0. [ 86 ] He scored his second international finish against Switzerland in a 3–1 succeed after coming on as an early substitute for the injured Theo Walcott. [ 87 ] In all, he made five appearances in qualifying as England progressed to the finals of UEFA Euro 2012. [ 88 ] Fabio Capello resigned as England coach in February 2012, and Stuart Pearce took irregular charge. [ 89 ] Johnson started Pearce ‘s merely match as England coach, a 2–3 get the better of at the hands of the Netherlands. [ 90 ] When Roy Hodgson took over in May 2012, Johnson was not selected in Hodgson ‘s 23-man squad for UEFA Euro 2012, but was named on standby in lawsuit of injuries. [ 91 ] He totalled 12 England caps and scored two international goals .

sexual crimes and conviction

In December 2014, Johnson began communicating over social media with a 15-year-old female fan while his spouse was pregnant. [ 92 ] The following 17 January, he met up with the daughter in his Range Rover, where he signed two Sunderland shirts for her. [ 92 ] Thirteen days late, they met again, and Johnson kissed the girlfriend. [ 92 ] On 2 March 2015, Johnson was arrested by Durham Police on intuition of having sexual action with an underage daughter, who was 15. [ 93 ] On 23 April, he was charged with three offences of intimate activeness with a child under 16 and one of child dress, [ 70 ] to which he pleaded not guilty in June. [ 71 ] An initial test date in Durham in September 2015 was belated moved to February 2016 in Bradford Crown Court. [ 94 ] On 10 February 2016, at the start of his trial, Johnson pleaded guilty to “ one count of sexual activity with a child and one reckon of grooming “. [ 4 ] He denied two far counts of underage intimate natural process. [ 95 ] The trial lasted for sixteen days, was presided over by Circuit Judge Jonathan Rose, the lead barrister for the prosecution was Kate Blackwell QC and the lead barrister for the defensive structure was Orlando Pownall QC. [ 96 ] On 2 March 2016, Johnson was found guilty on a majority verdict of 10–2 [ 97 ] of one count of sexual action with a child and found not guilty of a second count of the same crime. [ 98 ] In a victim shock statement, the daughter stated that she suffered misuse on social media during the meter Johnson claimed innocence, that she had lost confidence and that her school work had suffered. [ 99 ] A court psychiatrist for the defense found Johnson to be “ socially and psychologically green ” and stated that there was no evidence that Johnson had a intimate attraction to prepubescent children. [ 3 ] Johnson was granted bail in ordering to say farewell to his baby daughter. [ 98 ] On 24 March 2016, he was sentenced to six years in prison for grooming and sexual activeness with a female child aged 15. [ 3 ] The judge besides ordered him to pay £50,000 of the prosecution ‘s legal fees of £67,132. [ 3 ] In investigations, police found animal pornography on Johnson ‘s laptop ; he was not tried for possession of these files. [ 3 ] Pownall said before the sentence that Johnson had been “ stripped of his England detonator ” but the FA belated confirmed that this was not the case and that they can not take caps away from players. [ 100 ] After his sentence, Johnson was held at HM Prison Leeds. [ 101 ] On 12 April, Johnson ‘s legal team launched an attract against his sentence. [ 102 ] On 15 April, Johnson was moved to HM Prison Moorland near Doncaster. [ 103 ] On 12 July, his solicitation was refused, [ 104 ] and a second appeal was refused on 16 March 2017. [ 105 ] In April 2017 television footage taken inside HMP Moorland appeared to show Johnson talking to fellow inmates about his conviction. In the footage, Johnson talks about his victim and the fact that he believes his prison term was lengthened due to his stead as a professional football player. [ 106 ] Johnson was released on 22 March 2019, after serving half of his conviction. [ 107 ]

reaction

Johnson was immediately suspended by Sunderland following his check, and missed 2 games before being returned to the team while on bail. [ 68 ] [ 69 ] He played in 28 games throughout the following 11 months, until was first dropped from the team on 11 February 2016, and then late sacked by Sunderland, after pleading guilty at trial to two of the four counts put against him. [ 108 ] [ 109 ] His endorsement by Adidas was besides terminated as a solution, and EA Sports removed his compare from the FIFA 16 video plot. [ 110 ] After the conviction, Sunderland coach Sam Allardyce faced examination for continuing to select Johnson during his bail, particularly following allegations that the club had seen documents in May 2015 suggesting that Johnson acknowledged his guilt. Allardyce, who had joined the club only in October 2015, claimed that he was not aware of such documents and had always been informed that Johnson was to plead not guilty ; a Sunderland press publish made the lapp statement. [ 111 ] In court, Johnson claimed that he had confessed to Sunderland foreman executive Margaret Byrne on 4 May 2015. Byrne, a former lawyer, was due to appear as a witness for his refutation but did not take the stand. [ 112 ] Sunderland ‘s athletic supporter association desired to question her over her cognition of the case. [ 113 ] Byrne resigned on 8 March 2016, regretting her “ dangerous mistake ”, but claimed that she had not made the clubhouse mindful of Johnson ‘s entrance fee, nor was she mindful that he was to plead guilty. [ 114 ] Pownall confirmed that Johnson intended to appeal against his conviction. [ 97 ] Johnson ‘s sister Faye urged supporters to change their Facebook profile pictures to one of Johnson and his daughter and a motto proclaiming his artlessness. [ 115 ] She had set up an on-line group for supporters of his purity, which reached 1,000 likes before being shut down after being reported by users including north East-based child protection vigilantes Dark Justice. [ 97 ] The foreman executive of the Professional Footballers ‘ Association, Gordon Taylor, said that Johnson had “ damaged the reputation of football ” and that his chances of playing again were “ very distant ”. [ 116 ]

personal life

Johnson attended school, and the academies of Sunderland and Middlesbrough, with Dale Roberts, who went on to play as a goalkeeper. Roberts committed suicide on 14 December 2010, which Johnson subsequently described as “ the worst day of my animation ”. [ 117 ] anterior to his imprisonment, Johnson lived in Castle Eden, County Durham. [ 4 ] He has a daughter, born in January 2015, with his early partner Stacey Flounders. [ 118 ] In February 2016, while giving testify at his trial, Flounders announced that she and Johnson had separated, claiming that he had confessed to infidelity with other women. [ 119 ] During his imprisonment in 2017 he sold his home Tollgate Lodge for £1.7 million. [ 120 ] It was purchased by Durham and England cricketer Ben Stokes. [ 121 ] Upon his let go of from prison he returned to live in Castle Eden [ 122 ] in a seven-bedroom base he had built during his imprisonment. [ 123 ]

Read more: Swansea City A.F.C.

career statistics

club

Johnson warming up for Sunderland in 2015

As of match played 6 February 2016

International

As of match played 15 August 2012[136]

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team
Year
Apps
Goals

England

2010
6
2

2011
3
0

2012
3
0

Total
12
2

As of match played 15 August 2012[136]
Scores and results list England’s goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Johnson goal.

Honours

Manchester City
Individual

References