Brennan Johnson

1.1. Childhood and family

Brennan Price Johnson was born on 23 May 2001 in Nottingham, England. He is the son of David Johnson, a former Jamaican international footballer, and Alison Johnson, who is Welsh. Johnson's maternal grandparents hail from Rhayader, Wales, connecting him deeply to his Welsh heritage.

2.1. Youth career

Johnson began his football journey at Dunkirk before joining the Nottingham Forest academy at the age of eight. He spent a decade progressing through Forest's youth system, developing his skills and preparing for professional football.

2.2. Nottingham Forest

Johnson made his first-team debut for Nottingham Forest at 18 years old on 3 August 2019, coming on as an 88th-minute substitute in a 2-1 loss against West Bromwich Albion on the opening day of the season.

On 25 September 2020, Johnson joined League One club Lincoln City on a season-long loan. He debuted two days later as a substitute against Charlton Athletic. His first career goal came against Plymouth Argyle, scoring with a close-range header. In April 2021, Johnson achieved his first career hat-trick against Milton Keynes Dons, completing the feat in just 11 minutes. During his loan spell, he became a regular starter for Lincoln City, scoring 10 league goals.

Upon his return to Nottingham Forest, Johnson secured a position as one of the two main strikers. His first professional goal for Nottingham Forest was scored in a 1-1 draw against local rivals Derby County on 28 August 2021. Following the appointment of Steve Cooper as manager, Forest's form significantly improved. Johnson was awarded the EFL Young Player of the Month award for September 2021 after contributing one goal and two assists during a month in which Forest secured three wins. He continued his strong performance, earning the EFL Championship Player of the Month award for April 2022 after his four goals and four assists helped Forest reach the play-offs, narrowly missing out on automatic promotion.

Johnson played in all three play-off matches and was the top scorer across all Championship play-off games, netting once in each leg of the semi-final against Sheffield United. He also successfully converted his penalty in the subsequent shootout against Sheffield United, which decided the tie after both legs ended in a draw. Johnson concluded the season as Forest's top scorer with 19 goals across all competitions, including his crucial contributions in the successful play-off campaign that led to their promotion to the Premier League. For his outstanding performance, he was named the EFL Championship Young Player of the Season. On 1 July 2022, he signed a new four-year contract with Nottingham Forest, extending his commitment until June 2026. In Nottingham Forest's return to the Premier League during the 2022-23 season, Johnson played in every league game, helping the team avoid relegation while contributing eight goals and three assists.

2.3. Tottenham Hotspur

On 1 September 2023, Johnson transferred to Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, signing a six-year contract for a transfer fee of 47.50 M GBP. He made his debut for Tottenham on 16 September 2023, in a 2-1 victory over Sheffield United. On 11 November, Johnson scored his first goal for Tottenham in the third minute of a 2-1 defeat away to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

During the winter period of his first season, Johnson received numerous opportunities in the starting lineup due to international duty absences and injuries among Tottenham's players. On 31 January 2024, Johnson scored his second goal for the club against Brentford, just a minute after Tottenham's first goal by Destiny Udogie. This was the second of three goals scored within eight minutes, as Tottenham Hotspur went on to win the match 3-2. On 10 February 2024, Johnson scored a stoppage-time winner for Tottenham Hotspur in their 2-1 home victory against Brighton & Hove Albion, having entered the game as a 62nd-minute substitute for Timo Werner. Johnson also played a crucial role in Tottenham's 2 March 2024 match against Crystal Palace, assisting Timo Werner's first goal for the club, which equalized the game, and later assisting Son Heung-Min for the final goal in their 3-1 victory. He concluded the season with five goals and ten assists, with his ten assists being the joint-most among any Spurs player.

Following a 1-0 home loss to Arsenal on 15 September 2024, Johnson became the target of significant online abuse, leading to the temporary deactivation of his social media accounts. However, he quickly recovered, scoring a late winner three days later against Coventry City in the third round of the EFL Cup. This goal marked the beginning of an impressive run, as he went on to score in seven consecutive games.

3.1. Youth national teams

Brennan Johnson initially played in international friendlies for the England under-16 and under-17 teams. In 2018, he made the decision to switch his international allegiance to Wales. He subsequently 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 came in his debut for the Wales under-21 team on 6 September 2019, in a 1-0 victory over the Belgium under-21 team during the 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifiers.

3.2. Senior national team

In September 2020, Johnson received his first call-up to the senior Wales squad. He made his Wales debut on 12 November 2020, in a 0-0 draw against the United States. On 1 September 2021, he made his first start for Wales against Finland, where he was fouled and won a penalty. However, the resulting penalty, taken by Wales teammate Harry Wilson, was saved by Finland's goalkeeper Carljohan Eriksson. Johnson scored his first goal for Wales on 11 June 2022 in a 1-1 UEFA Nations League draw against Belgium.

In November 2022, Johnson was included in the Wales squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. This marked Wales' first qualification for the tournament since the 1958 FIFA World Cup. Their opening match was a 1-1 draw against the United States on 21 November 2022, where Johnson was substituted on for Neco Williams in the 78th minute and had an attempt on goal saved by US goalkeeper Matt Turner. In their subsequent match, a 0-2 defeat to Iran, Johnson entered the game in the 57th minute, replacing Connor Roberts. Wales' final group stage match was a 0-3 defeat against England. This marked Johnson's first encounter with the England team, and he was substituted on for Gareth Bale in the 46th minute. Wales finished at the bottom of their group with one point, concluding their 2022 World Cup campaign.

5.1. Club

• ¹ Appearances in Championship play-offs
• ² Four appearances and one goal in EFL Trophy, three appearances and one goal in League One play-offs
• ³ Appearances in UEFA Europa League

5.2. International

List of international goals scored by Brennan Johnson