Johnson, Glen (2003-2007)

Glen Johnson (2003-2007)

Written by Alan in July 2007

Johnson didn't have a smooth ride at Chelsea. He arrived as the first signing of the Roman Abramovich era for a fee of £6m from West Ham, having come up through the ranks there. He also spent time at Millwall on loan, but we wont hold that against him.

He made a good start to his Chelsea life, and enjoyed regular playing time under Ranieri. He scored 3 goals in his debut season, including a memorable goal against Blackburn. John Terry knocked the ball to him after retrieving a corner, Johnson then flicked the ball with the outside of his foot over a defender, spun around, took a touch past an onrushing defender and then smashed the ball into the top corner to give Chelsea 3-2 win.

The 2003/2004 season also saw Johnson make his international debut for England in a game against Denmark.

Johnson was overshadowed by Paulo Ferreira in the 2004/2005 season, and it wasn't until Ferreira got injured early in 2005 that Johnson got an extended run in the team. He blew hot and cold, some of his defending at times being very erratic. He picked up league title winners medal in that season, having played in more than 10 league games.

The 2005/2006 season wasn't to start well for Johnson. He played in a friendly against Denmark in August, a game which England lost 4-0. Johnson put in a poor performance and lost his place in subsequent England squads.

The 2005/2006 season was to be much of the same for Johnson, a bit part role, this time even more so. He made only one Premiership appearance and joined Portsmouth in the summer of 2006 on a season long loan, where he got considerably more games.

If there's one thing you can guarantee with Johnson, it's controversy. In the 2005/2006 season he missed the second leg of the Champions League tie against Barcelona because he forgot his passport. It was reported at the time that he had been out drinking in a nightclub beforehand. He was also caught speeding in his Aston Martin in the same season. He was also fined £80 for stealing bathroom fittings from a B&Q store in January 2007. Why he would try and do such a thing when he is likely on £40,000 a week is a mystery , although I'm sure the hefty £80 fine will deter him in the future.

Glen was back in the first team squad at the start of the 2007/2008 season, and impressed in a friendly against Club America. He could have been a useful player for Chelsea, as it is clear he is a good player and has potential. Although it seems he isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer.

Johnson was given a chance to impress when he started our first game of the new season at home to Birmingham. A bright start was undone by a costly error which allowed Kapo to score for Birmingham. That error was to prove very costly indeed for Johnson who was sold to Portsmouth in a deal worth around £3m on transfer deadline day, August 31 2007.

As mentioned above, Johnson does have potential, but he wont now be able to realise it at Chelsea. With regular first team football at Portsmouth he might be able to do that, but he'll have to improve defensively and cut out the lapses in concentration that featured prominently in his Chelsea career.