Johnson signs with Knights
Thursday, 30 March, 2006 - 5:48PM
Sportal
New Zealand Knights manager John Adshead confirmed on Thursday that he has signed
Newcastle Jets midfield Richard Johnson for two years.
Johnson will arrive in May for pre-season training, and Adshead is confident that he will bolster the Knights line-up - who finished last in the inaugural Hyundai A-League.
"Richard is without doubt a quality player who added a great deal to the A-League last season with
Newcastle," he said.
"When Paul (Nevin) and I sat down and began planning for the new campaign, Richard was underlined as a player we would like to target.
"He is everything we lacked at times last season, a big, strong, powerful, holding midfield player who will add real steel that we were missing for the majority of last season.
"He also brings a wealth of experience to the club and will provide great leadership to those around him."
Johnson, 31, went to England as a teenager playing at Middlesbrough and
Tottenham Hotspur before beginning a 10-year liaison with Watford in the late-1990s. He has made 277 top level appearances to date in his career.
Johnson said he made the move as he was 'more than impressed' with everything he had seen and heard with the Knights and was looking forward to playing a key role with the club this year.
"I was in the fortunate position of having a few options to consider but decided to go with the Knights given the potential the club has to make a genuine impact in the A-League but also on the game in New Zealand," he said.
"My discussions with chief executive Steve O'Hara further confirmed that the work being carried out at the club on and off the park will see us in good stead this year and beyond."
