GETTY*SKY BET
His admiration for the Brazil great is just one of the revelations Johnson makes in this week’s Sky Bet EFL Q&A.
Born in Jamaica, the 24-year-old has helped Preston to a promising start to the Championship season which will be tested by Saturday’s trip to big-spending Middlesbrough.
A product of Aston Villa’s academy who joined Preston in January 2015, he makes a plea for young players to be given their opportunity earlier by clubs and admits he was taught a lesson by facing Paul Pogba away from the first-team glare.
Were you always a midfielder?
Yes. Growing up everyone wants to be a striker, but gradually as you go on, you have a sense or your coach has a sense of where he thinks you might play. From a young age, I was able to adapt and play in midfield.
I moved to England from Jamaica when I was aged seven. From what I can remember I played in my school team over there as a striker.
Best moment on a football pitch?
Winning at Wembley with Preston when we got promoted (beating Swindon Town 4-0 in the Sky Bet League One play-off final in May 2015). It’s every boy’s dream to play at Wembley and to win at Wembley, so that’s probably my best moment.
And we knew that we had won the game with half an hour to go. Being 4-0 up you are basically there, but we also knew that we had to carry on working until the final whistle. You do get moments where you are able to look each other and know, but during the game everyone was just so concentrated on seeing it out to the final whistle and even keeping a clean sheet was important to us. That just topped off the performance.
What made it special was that we had messed up on the final day of the season when it was in our hands (Preston lost 1-0 at Colchester, a result which saw MK Dons gain automatic promotion instead). Everyone was on a downer after that game, but we knew that we still had another chance.
We went to Chesterfield and won there (in the play-off semi-finals) and beat them at home as well and we knew going to Wembley that it was a make or break game. I’m sure all the boys would agree that it was a fantastic day.
Is there one regret you need to put right?
No, I don’t think so. Off the top of my head, I can’t think of anything I regret that I need to put right. Maybe later on in my career, there might be something, but I’m still young. We live and we learn.
I needed to move to Preston from Villa when I did and experience the whole package of men’s football, just getting games under my belt and getting to grip with what it was all about. Playing Under-23s football is not ideal for the men’s world. For me, it was the perfect timing to leave.
I was on the bench a few times but I didn’t actually get on the pitch in the Premier League at Villa. Obviously that’s something I want to do. The Premier League is the most exciting league in the world. Hopefully one day I’ll get my chance and I’m sure I’ll take it.
I was pretty close to it at Villa even though there were a lot of big names around at the time. I was in the Under-23s with Jack Grealish, Samir Carruthers and Derek Williams and I got along with all of the senior players but unfortunately it just didn’t happen. At the time I felt like I was ready, but maybe the manager (Paul Lambert) didn’t.
Hardest opponent?
Paul Pogba. We played (Manchester) United when I was at Villa in an Under-23 game. I thought he was different class, just above everyone else. I think he only played 60 minutes but he was outstanding. I couldn’t get near him. Left foot, right foot. That was years ago. I was probably about 18 then, but it was a game that I’ll always remember. They had a few big names playing as well like Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, the da Silva brothers, Tom Cleverley but I just remember Pogba controlling the game.
I was a little bit surprised when he left United that he hadn’t made it, but when he came back, you can see it now why he is one of the most expensive footballers in the world. I think he deserves it, definitely.
Least favourite away ground?
That’s a tough one because you can say that you never really get the result you want at this ground or that one, but you can still play well there. But I’ll say Sheffield Wednesday, not because of the stadium, it’s a fantastic ground, the pitch is really good and the atmosphere is always good there as well. But I’ll put it down because I’ve never really got a result there. Hopefully we can put that right when we go there this season.
Funniest thing you have seen in a dressing room?
Honestly, I’d say the day-to-day banter with all the boys. Paul Gallagher is the funniest in the changing room here at Preston. I don’t think any of the lads would disagree with that. He’s got the wit. He’s quite ruthless with it as well, but funny in the way that no-one takes it personally.
GETTY
Paul Pogba: Daniel Johnson was surprised when Pogba left United for Juventus
Boyhood sporting hero?
Ronaldinho. For two reasons. First, because of the hair. Everyone used to say to me: “You look like Ronaldinho,” everywhere I used to go. And two, because personally he’s the best footballer that I’ve ever seen, technically-wise and just how he played the game. I just loved watching him play.
Obviously there’s a debate around the likes of Messi and Ronaldo about are they the greatest of all time, but for me growing up and watching Ronaldinho and how he was at PSG and Barcelona, it was just ridiculous how good he was, a joke for me.
When me and my mates would be having a kickaround, I was always him. No-one was going to take that from me and I always used to think that I was him growing up, playing in the playground and wherever. The hair helped as well because everyone used to say it wherever I went, so that stuck with me.
If you had the power, what one thing would you change about the game?
That’s a hard one. I’d say maybe to give young players more of a chance. Growing up and being at an academy or wherever you are, sometimes you feel like you don’t get that opportunity to show your quality or your ability. You can get overlooked.
Or even just to look into young players more. Even if you don’t play them in the first team, give them more of an opportunity to train with the first team and see how everything is done, so that they can get to grips with it really early. It might take a while for a young player to understand men’s football, for instance, but if they are in there earlier, you never know, they might their opportunity sooner rather than later.
I always look out for the young players who come here to Preston whether that’s permanently or on loan. I was in their position as well. Even boys who come here on trial, we’ve all been there, we all know what it’s like to go for a trial when you’re in a changing room and no-one really speaks to you. You just feel like you’re the outsider and then you go on the training field and no-one really passes to you.
So when new boys come in, I take it upon myself to interact with them and make them feel like they’re not on the outside. It was the same for me. When I first came to Preston, the boys were really welcoming, the likes of Paul Gallagher, Tom Clarke, Joe Garner, John Welsh and even a few of the younger boys who were around my age group. They took me in and I didn’t feel like an outsider. I felt like I had been a part of this team for many seasons. It was easy to get along with them all.
GETTY
Ronaldinho: The former Barcelona star was Daniel Johnson’s boyhood hero
Most embarrassing moment in football?
Maybe missing a penalty because I fancy myself on penalties. No-one wants to miss from 12 yards out, especially if it’s just you and the keeper. Honestly speaking, I think I’ve missed two penalties in my whole life, both for Villa Under-23s, one against Chelsea, one against Man United. I haven’t missed one for Preston.
There was another embarrassing moment last season when we played Blackburn at home. I scored the opening goal of the game and then away a penalty just under 10 minutes after that. But then we got a penalty, I made it 2-1 and we went on and won the game 3-2 so I kind of overlook that one because we got three points anyway.
Which player in history would you like to play alongside?
I would say (Zinedine) Zidane. He’s my second favourite footballer and I personally think that he was a magician. He just made playing football look so easy. I don’t know if it’s the players that he had around him, and when you play with better players you play better yourself, but just watching him, you’d think that football was so simple.
My favourite moment of his was when he scored in the Champions League final (for Real Madrid in their 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen in May 2002). That will live forever. The technique on the volley with his weaker foot was just ridiculous. I could have said Xavi or Pirlo or Iniesta, but Zidane tops the list for me.
If I was playing alongside him, to be honest I’d have just stood there and watched him for the whole game, just admiring how he does things. Or maybe just try to balance the middle of the pitch with him and try to have a bit of fun really.