Joel Johnson
Johnson with Charlotte Independence in 2017
Personal information
Full name Joel Johnson Alajarín[1]
Date of birth (1992-09-20) 20 September 1992[1]
Place of birth Torrent, Spain[1]
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[1]
Position(s) Right-back
Team information
Current team
 Charlotte Independence
Number 8
Youth career
2000–2001 Torrent
2001–2009 Valencia
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2012 Valencia B 69 (1)
2010 Valencia 1 (0)
2012–2014 Real Madrid C 50 (0)
2014–2015 Jaén 16 (0)
2015–2016 Buñol 9 (0)
2016–2021 Charlotte Independence 146 (3)
2022 Hartford Athletic 34 (4)
2023– Charlotte Independence 35 (7)
International career‡
2018– Liberia 10 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 09:36, 11 December 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 09:37, 11 December 2023 (UTC)

Joel Johnson Alajarín (born 20 September 1992) is a professional footballer who plays as a right-back for USL League One club Charlotte Independence.

Born in Spain, he represented the Liberia national team.

Club career

Born in Torrent, Valencia, to a Liberian father and a Spanish mother, Johnson was a product of Valencia CF's youth system.[2] He made his senior debut at only 17, appearing with the reserves in the Segunda División B and suffering relegation in 2010.[3]

On 8 March 2010, as both right-backs in the first team, Bruno and Miguel, were unavailable, Johnson made his first La Liga appearance, playing the full 90 minutes in a 0–0 home draw against Racing de Santander.[4][5] Released on 30 June 2012, he went on to compete solely in the lower leagues, first with Real Madrid C and then with Real Jaén, both in the third tier.[6][7][8]

After a season with CD Buñol in the Tercera División, Johnson signed with USL Championship side Charlotte Independence on 6 April 2016.[9] Six years later, he joined Hartford Athletic of the same country and league.[10]

International career

Johnson received his first call for the Liberia national team on 31 August 2016,[11] being an unused substitute in the 4–1 away loss to Tunisia for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying phase the following week.[12] He only won his first cap on 9 September 2018, starting and playing 90 minutes in a 1–1 draw against DR Congo for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.[13]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Joel Johnson at WorldFootball.net
  2. ↑ Joel Johnson, a un paso de debutar (Joel Johnson, close to making debut); Las Provincias, 7 March 2010 (in Spanish)
  3. ↑ La victoria del Espanyol B certifica el descenso del Mestalla a Tercera (Espanyol B win confirms Mestalla's relegation to Tercera); Levante-EMV, 26 April 2010 (in Spanish)
  4. ↑ Los Che frustrated by Santander again Archived 24 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine; ESPN Soccernet, 8 March 2010
  5. ↑ Joel: "Impresiona jugar en Mestalla" (Joel: "It's impressive to play in Mestalla"); Las Provincias, 9 March 2010 (in Spanish)
  6. ↑ El Real Madrid C se refuerza con Joel Johnson (Real Madrid C bolster with Joel Johnson); Defensa Central, 19 July 2012 (in Spanish)
  7. ↑ Joel Johnson, último fichaje del Real Jaén (Joel Johnson, last signing of Real Jaén); Ideal, 1 September 2014 (in Spanish)
  8. ↑ El Buñol da con la tecla (Buñol hit the spot); Golsmedia, 16 November 2015 (in Spanish)
  9. ↑ Independence sign Spanish defender Johnson; United Soccer League, 7 April 2016
  10. ↑ Hartford Athletic signs veteran USL Championship defender Joel Johnson; Hartford Athletic, 18 March 2022
  11. ↑ Joel Johnson receives call up from Liberian national team Archived 15 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine; Charlotte Independence, 31 August 2016
  12. ↑ Tunisia beats Liberia 4–1 in Tunis – Togo thumps Djibouti 5–0 to qualify Archived 15 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine; Front Page Africa, 4 September 2016
  13. ↑ Thomas Kojo ‘impressed’ with Johnson’s debut performance Archived 25 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine; Liberian Observer, 12 September 2018
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