# Glen Johnson
**Glen Johnson** (born 1984 in London) is an English former professional footballer who played as a right-back, most prominently for Chelsea, Portsmouth, and Liverpool, and won 54 caps for England between 2003 and 2014.[1](https://www.skysports.com/glen-johnson) • [2](https://www.englandstats.com/player.php?pid=1128) He was the first signing of the [Roman Abramovich](https://www.edgepedia.org/roman-abramovich) era at Chelsea, won a Premier League title there, and later made 200 appearances for Liverpool, including 29 in the 2013-14 season when the club finished second in the Premier League.[3](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/glen-johnson-title-winners-always-bounce-back-9027665.html) • [4](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/info/glen-johnson/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1984, London; height 1.82 m; position defender (right-back)[1](https://www.skysports.com/glen-johnson) |
| Clubs | West Ham United (2000-03), Millwall (loan 2002), Chelsea (2003-07), Portsmouth (2006-09), Liverpool (2009-15), Stoke City (2015-18)[1](https://www.skysports.com/glen-johnson) • [5](https://www.lfchistory.net/players/1136) |
| Major transfers | West Ham to Chelsea for £6.0m (July 2003); Portsmouth to Liverpool for £17.0m (1 July 2009)[1](https://www.skysports.com/glen-johnson) |
| Liverpool record | 200 appearances, 9 goals, 2009-2015; League Cup winner 2012[4](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/info/glen-johnson/) |
| England record | 54 caps, 1 goal, 2003-2014; 53 caps at right back and 1 at center back[2](https://www.englandstats.com/player.php?pid=1128) |
| Major tournaments | 2010 World Cup, Euro 2012, 2014 World Cup[5](https://www.lfchistory.net/players/1136) • [6](https://www.thefa.com/news/2014/may/28/glen-johnson-england-st-georges-park-270514) |
| Playing style | Attacking right-back who cited the Brazilian Cafu as his role model[7](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/international/world-cup-2014-liverpool-defender-glen-johnson-hopes-to-show-cafu-swagger-in-land-of-attacking-fullbacks-9449621.html) |
## Club career
**West Ham and Chelsea.** Johnson emerged at West Ham United, joining the senior setup there at the outset of his career, and spent a loan spell at Millwall in October 2002.[7](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/international/world-cup-2014-liverpool-defender-glen-johnson-hopes-to-show-cafu-swagger-in-land-of-attacking-fullbacks-9449621.html) • [1](https://www.skysports.com/glen-johnson) In July 2003 Chelsea bought him for £6.0m, and he became the first signing of the Roman Abramovich era at the club.[1](https://www.skysports.com/glen-johnson) • [3](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/glen-johnson-title-winners-always-bounce-back-9027665.html) He made his Chelsea debut against Liverpool on 17 August 2003.[5](https://www.lfchistory.net/players/1136) Under Claudio Ranieri, who signed and trusted him, he played in Chelsea's Champions League semi-final against Monaco in 2004 and was part of the squad for the 2004-05 title-winning campaign.[3](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/glen-johnson-title-winners-always-bounce-back-9027665.html) When Jose Mourinho took over, Johnson's opportunities collapsed: he was made, in the words of one profile, a mere [FA Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fa-cup) player in 2005-06, and he later said, "I didn't really get a fair opportunity. I knew deep down I was good enough to be given a chance but I was never really given that chance."[3](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/glen-johnson-title-winners-always-bounce-back-9027665.html) He moved to Portsmouth, initially on loan in June 2006 and then on a permanent transfer in August 2007.[1](https://www.skysports.com/glen-johnson)
**Liverpool.** Liverpool signed Johnson from [Portsmouth](https://www.edgepedia.org/portsmouth) for £17.0m on 1 July 2009, recruiting him to fill the right-back slot at Anfield.[1](https://www.skysports.com/glen-johnson) • [4](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/info/glen-johnson/) Signed by Rafael Benitez, he worked under four different managers in six years at the club and was part of the [Kenny Dalglish](https://www.edgepedia.org/kenny-dalglish) side that lifted the 2012 League Cup at Wembley.[4](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/info/glen-johnson/) He made 200 appearances for Liverpool, scoring nine times.[4](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/info/glen-johnson/) Half of his spell came under [Brendan Rodgers](https://www.edgepedia.org/brendan-rodgers), who described him during the 2013-14 season as "one of the best full-backs in the world"; Johnson made 29 Premier League appearances that season as Liverpool narrowly finished second.[7](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/international/world-cup-2014-liverpool-defender-glen-johnson-hopes-to-show-cafu-swagger-in-land-of-attacking-fullbacks-9449621.html) • [4](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/info/glen-johnson/) His fitness was a concern early in 2014, when he sat out a month of Liverpool matches with a combination of ankle and groin problems after playing through them for two or three months; on his return he regained form while his rival for the England right-back berth, Kyle Walker, missed out through injury.[7](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/international/world-cup-2014-liverpool-defender-glen-johnson-hopes-to-show-cafu-swagger-in-land-of-attacking-fullbacks-9449621.html) As his playing time dwindled in the following campaign, he departed at the end of his contract in the summer of 2015.[4](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/info/glen-johnson/)
**Stoke City.** Johnson joined Stoke City on 20 July 2015 and remained until 24 July 2018, having signed a one-year contract extension in April 2017 that committed him to the club until at least the summer of 2018.[1](https://www.skysports.com/glen-johnson)
## England career
Johnson won his first England cap in a friendly against Denmark on 16 November 2003, aged 19 years and 85 days, while a Chelsea player.[2](https://www.englandstats.com/player.php?pid=1128) Peter Taylor, the England Under-21 coach, had already identified him as the natural successor to [Gary Neville](https://www.edgepedia.org/gary-neville) at senior right-back, saying he looked "an incredible talent, everything you could want" while noting he would need first-team football to progress.[8](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/international/taylor-sees-england-future-for-johnson-544253.html)
His senior career lasted 10 years and 214 days, ending with his 54th cap in the World Cup finals match against Uruguay on 19 June 2014.[2](https://www.englandstats.com/player.php?pid=1128) He scored once, a left-footed strike from 19 or more yards against Mexico in a friendly on 24 May 2010, and recorded nine assists, seven of them crosses from the right.[2](https://www.englandstats.com/player.php?pid=1128) Most of his caps came under [Fabio Capello](https://www.edgepedia.org/fabio-capello) (30) and [Roy Hodgson](https://www.edgepedia.org/roy-hodgson) (19).[2](https://www.englandstats.com/player.php?pid=1128)
At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Johnson played from the start in all four of England's matches, being substituted only towards the end of the round-of-16 defeat by Germany.[5](https://www.lfchistory.net/players/1136) He also appeared in all of England's games at Euro 2012 and went to the 2014 World Cup as the squad's only natural right-back, his third major tournament.[7](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/international/world-cup-2014-liverpool-defender-glen-johnson-hopes-to-show-cafu-swagger-in-land-of-attacking-fullbacks-9449621.html) • [6](https://www.thefa.com/news/2014/may/28/glen-johnson-england-st-georges-park-270514)
## Playing style
Johnson was highly regarded for his attacking play from full-back. As a young player he took his lead from Cafu, the Brazilian captain who lifted the 2002 World Cup, calling him "probably the best right-back there has ever been" and praising the way he was "brilliant going forward, good on the ball and could defend very well. He had a bit of swagger."[7](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/international/world-cup-2014-liverpool-defender-glen-johnson-hopes-to-show-cafu-swagger-in-land-of-attacking-fullbacks-9449621.html) Johnson described attacking as always a big part of his game: "I've always liked to get forward and try to cause a few problems for the other side."[7](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/international/world-cup-2014-liverpool-defender-glen-johnson-hopes-to-show-cafu-swagger-in-land-of-attacking-fullbacks-9449621.html) He noted that under Roy Hodgson the England full-backs had more freedom to push forward than they had under Fabio Capello.[7](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/international/world-cup-2014-liverpool-defender-glen-johnson-hopes-to-show-cafu-swagger-in-land-of-attacking-fullbacks-9449621.html) His goal record reflects this orientation: his Liverpool total of nine goals included long-range strikes, such as the exceptional 25-yard shot into the top corner against his former club West Ham in December 2012.[9](https://www.lfchistory.net/images/newspapers/riley/20121209vwestham.pdf)
## Later commentary
After retiring, Johnson worked as a pundit and was regularly asked to judge the position he once held. Asked by FourFourTwo to name England's best current right-back, he called it a toss-up between [Trent Alexander-Arnold](https://www.edgepedia.org/trent-alexander-arnold) and Reece James, saying that against a flying winger you might want the best defender, and that James was quicker and stronger.[10](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/for-me-hes-the-best-all-rounder-former-england-man-glen-johnson-picks-his-favourite-current-three-lions-right-back) • [11](https://www.squawka.com/en/news/trent-alexander-arnold-reece-james-better-right-back-liverpool-chelsea/)
## References
1. [Glen Johnson player profile, Sky Sports](https://www.skysports.com/glen-johnson)
2. [Glen Johnson (1128), The England International Database](https://www.englandstats.com/player.php?pid=1128)
3. [Glen Johnson: Title winners always bounce back, The Independent (29 December 2013)](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/glen-johnson-title-winners-always-bounce-back-9027665.html)
4. [Past players: Glen Johnson, Liverpool FC](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/info/glen-johnson/)
5. [Glen Johnson, LFChistory.net](https://www.lfchistory.net/players/1136)
6. [Glen Johnson talks about England's World Cup at St. George's Park, The FA (28 May 2014)](https://www.thefa.com/news/2014/may/28/glen-johnson-england-st-georges-park-270514)
7. [World Cup 2014: Glen Johnson hopes to show Cafu swagger, The Independent (29 May 2014)](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/international/world-cup-2014-liverpool-defender-glen-johnson-hopes-to-show-cafu-swagger-in-land-of-attacking-fullbacks-9449621.html)
8. [Taylor sees England future for Johnson, The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/international/taylor-sees-england-future-for-johnson-544253.html)
9. [Liverpool match report, West Ham v Liverpool (9 December 2012), LFChistory.net](https://www.lfchistory.net/images/newspapers/riley/20121209vwestham.pdf)
10. [Glen Johnson picks his favourite current England right back, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/for-me-hes-the-best-all-rounder-former-england-man-glen-johnson-picks-his-favourite-current-three-lions-right-back)
11. [Reece James better than Trent Alexander-Arnold overall, says Glen Johnson, Squawka](https://www.squawka.com/en/news/trent-alexander-arnold-reece-james-better-right-back-liverpool-chelsea/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of the British Isles (modern era) › English footballers 2005–2014*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license