Welsh international footballer (born 2001)
Brennan Price Johnson (born 23 May 2001) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward or winger for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and the Wales national team.
Early life
Brennan Price Johnson[2] was born on 23 May 2001[1] in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire.[3] He is the son of a Jamaican father, former footballer David Johnson, and Welsh mother, Alison Johnson.[4][5] His maternal grandparents are from Rhayader, Wales.[6]
Club career
Nottingham Forest
After joining the Nottingham Forest academy from Dunkirk at eight years old,[4][7] Johnson made his first-team debut aged 18, appearing on 3 August 2019 as an 88th-minute substitute in a 2–1 loss against West Bromwich Albion on the opening day of the season.[8]
On 25 September 2020, Johnson joined League One club Lincoln City on a season-long loan.[9] He made his debut two days later, coming off the bench against Charlton Athletic.[10] He scored his first career goal against Plymouth Argyle, heading in from close range.[11] In April 2021, Johnson scored his first career hat-trick in a match against Milton Keynes Dons, taking Johnson just 11 minutes to accomplish this feat.[12]
Johnson's first professional goal for Nottingham Forest came in a 1–1 draw against local rivals Derby County on 28 August 2021.[13] Forest experienced an upturn of form after the appointment of Steve Cooper, replacing Chris Hughton, and after scoring one goal and providing two assists in a month where Forest had three wins, Johnson was awarded the EFL Young Player of the Month award for September 2021.[14] Johnson was awarded the EFL Championship Player of the Month award for April 2022 after his four goals and four assists helped Forest into the play-offs, narrowly missing out on automatic promotion.[15] Johnson would play in all three games of the play-offs, and was the topscorer across all Championship play-off games, scoring once in each of the semi-final legs against Sheffield United. He would also successfully scored in the subsequent penalty shootout against Sheffield United, which took place as the teams were tied after both legs of the semi-final.[16][17]
Johnson ended the season as Forest's top scorer with 19 goals in all competitions, including in both semi-final legs of their successful play-off campaign. He was named the EFL Championship Young Player of the Season.[18] On 1 July 2022, he signed a new four-year contract with Nottingham Forest, which was set to expire in June 2026.[19]
Tottenham Hotspur
On 1 September 2023, Johnson signed for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur on a six-year contract[20] for a transfer fee of £47.5 million.[21] He made his debut for Tottenham on 19 September 2023, in a 2–1 victory over Sheffield United.[22] On 11 November, Johnson scored his first goal for Tottenham in the third minute of a 2–1 defeat away to Wolverhampton Wanderers.[23]
Due to Tottenham players being away on international duty and a number of injuries in the squad, Johnson was awarded many opportunities in the starting lineup during the winter period of his first season. On 31 January 2024, Johnson would score his second goal for the club in a game against Brentford.[24] His goal came only a minute after Tottenham’s first goal of the match, scored by Destiny Udogie, and was the second of three goals to be scored within 8 minutes. Tottenham Hotspur would win the match 3–2. On 10 February 2024, Johnson scored the winner for Tottenham Hotspur in a 2–1 home win against Brighton & Hove Albion, after being substituted onto the field in the 62nd minute for Timo Werner.[25] There were 6 seconds of stoppage time remaining in the match when he scored.
International career
Youth career
Johnson played in international friendlies for the England under-16 and under-17 teams before switching to Wales in 2018.[26][27] He played for the Wales under-19 team in the 2019 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualifiers. His first competition goal for a Wales youth team was in his debut for the Wales under-21 team, in a 1–0 victory over the Belgium under-21 team on 6 September 2019, during the 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifiers.[28]
Senior career
In September 2020, Johnson was called up to the senior Wales squad for the first time.[29] Johnson made his Wales debut in a 0–0 draw against the USA on 12 November 2020.[30] He made his first start for Wales against Finland on 1 September 2021, in which he was fouled and won a penalty. This chance was taken by Wales teammate Harry Wilson but blocked by Finland keeper Carljohan Eriksson.[31] Johnson scored his first goal for Wales on 11 June 2022 in a 1–1 UEFA Nations League draw against Belgium.[32]
In November 2022, Johnson was named in the Wales squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.[33] This was the first time the nation had qualified for the tournament since the 1958 FIFA World Cup.[34] The team's first match of the campaign was a 1–1 draw against the USA on 21 November 2021, where Johnson was substituted on for Neco Williams in the 78th minute. He made an attempt at goal from the right side of the box which was saved by USA goalkeeper Matt Turner.[35] Their next match was a 0–2 defeat to Iran, where Johnson was substituted onto the pitch for Conor Roberts in the 57th minute.[36] The final match of the campaign for Wales was a 0–3 defeat against England. This was the Welsh men's national team's second time facing England in a major tournament, the first being six years prior in the UEFA Euro 2016,[37] and Johnson's first time against the team. Johnson was substituted onto the field for Gareth Bale in the 46th minute.[38] This ended Wales' World Cup 2022 campaign with Wales at the bottom of their group with 1 point.[39]
Belgium
Netherlands
