Archived News from June 2021
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STAGS SIGN DANNY JOHNSON FROM ORIENT
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Stags land prolific goalscorer
mansfieldtown.net, Thur 10 June 2021 Mansfield Town is delighted to announce the signing of striker Danny Johnson from Leyton Orient on a two-year contract. The frontman notched 20 goals in 2020/21 for the O’s, including a run of five goals in the first five matches of the season. Johnson began his career as a youngster with Middlesbrough, before moving into the youth system at Hartlepool. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2021/june/stags-land-prolific-goalscorer/ After spells with Harrogate Town and Billingham Synthonia, the now-28-year-old would enjoy his most prolific spell with Guisborough Town. Johnson netted an astonishing 59 goals in all competitions in the 2013/14 campaign, leading him to the Manager’s Player of the Year award, the Northern Football League’s Player of the Year award and BBC Newcastle’s Player of the Year award. Not only this, but his stunning goalscoring exploits would land him a move to Championship side Cardiff City, where he scored regularly for the under-21 development squad. A move to Gateshead followed, with Johnson netting 52 goals in three years with the Tynesiders. Spells in Scotland with Motherwell and Dundee preceded his switch to East London, netting 20 goals in 48 appearances for Leyton Orient in 2020/21. Stags’ boss Nigel Clough said: “We needed a goalscorer and that’s where Danny fits the bill. “We were impressed with the variety of goals he scored last season, with not too many situations and chances created for him. He scored 20 goals last season and I’m hoping that with the way we play, and the number of chances we create for him, he’ll get even more. “At 28, I think he’s in his prime in terms of scoring goals. I’m hoping his experience will come together to ensure that he’s a very good signing for us.” --------------- Nigel Clough told iFollow Stags on Danny Johnson, Friday 11 June 2021: "Danny Johnson has been on our radar quite some time. We knew he was out of contract. "We've been looking around at goalscorers at this level and I think he's as good as we can get who's out of contract. "Very very pleased to have secured him. "When you look at his clips, a wide variety of goals he scores and he is just that, a goalscorer. "The way that we play, we'll create him some chances and I think that's what's persuaded him to join us. "We're still in the market for another one (striker) as well but we needed somebody of this type. "It's a mentality thing as well. Somebody like him goes on the pitch thinking he's going to score a goal. Our strikers work their socks off, Jordan and Reidy, but I don't think they go on the pitch with that intention all the time. "We needed someone with that streak of selfishness who thinks I'm going to score a goal when I go on the pitch today. "We scored a fair few goals, we just didn't score enough proportionally of the chances we created. "In the last five games we had something like 100 shots, and even in the last two, 48. "I think he scored his 19 goals off something like 62 efforts which is a pretty good ratio." transcribed by Martin --------------------- I back myself to get goals - new striker mansfieldtown.net, Thur 10 June 2021 ‘I back myself and put pressure on myself to score,’ declared striker Danny Johnson after signing for the Stags on Thursday afternoon. The 28-year-old netted 20 goals for Leyton Orient in the 2020/21 campaign, and signs for the amber and blue on a two-year contract. Johnson spoke of a ‘great meeting’ with manager Nigel Clough, which he revealed was one of the ‘main reasons’ he opted to choose Mansfield as his next destination. “I’m delighted to be here and I’m looking forward to the new season,” he told iFollow Stags. “I back myself to score goals wherever I go. “I do back myself and put pressure on myself to score those goals, and I believe that I’m hitting the prime of my career. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2021/june/i-back-myself-to-get-goals---new-striker/ “After discussions with the gaffer [Nigel Clough] here, everything fitted with what I was after. “I had a great meeting with him, that’s one of the main reasons why I came to the club. When you sit down with a manager and everything clicks in terms of what he can give you and what you can learn, that’s the selling point to me. “I had offers from this league and above, but what it came down to was ticking all the boxes with what I want in my career. “I’m 28, I want to experience something positive, and this ticks all of those boxes. One of the main things the manager told me about was the chances that were being created [by the team]. “Being a striker, that’s a dream for me. I need chances to score goals, and I believe that when I get them, I’ll put them away. “I want to be the one that can score goals for the team and my main enjoyment is scoring and winning games. The frontman also spoke of his abilities as a player and his targets for the upcoming campaign. “Throughout my career I’ve played either out on the left or right. I think last season was the first time I’ve played down the middle every game. “I’ve always had a natural ability to score goals and I put pressure on myself to do that - I’m my own worst critic at times. “I scored a variety of goals last season. I do pride myself on those poacher’s goals, but a few goals last season I scored from quite tight angles. I do have a belief that when I do have a chance, I will put it away. “I’m definitely a poacher and I do work hard. I hassled defenders into a lot of mistakes last season. “I do say that I should score in every game - I know that’s pretty impossible to do, but I do believe that if I get a chance I should be putting it away. “With the chances I had [last season], I was very pleased to get 20 [goals], and I want to get past that this season.” Johnson discussed the potential return of fans to stadia next season, and his hopes to make One Call Stadium a ‘fortress’ in 2021/22. “I think when the fans are behind the team that’s a positive. If you look at last year, a lot of teams won away from home because there were no crowds. “You need to make your stadium like a fortress, get the fans behind the team and use that. “If you look at League Two, anyone can beat anyone and that top half is going to be very difficult.” iFollow Stags subscribers can watch Danny Johnson’s interview in full by logging into mansfieldtown.net/ifollow. ---------------------- Goal machine Danny Johnson backs himself to shine for Mansfield Town next season chad.co.uk, By John Lomas, Thursday 10th June 2021 Goal machine Danny Johnson backs himself to continue his scoring spree if new club Mansfield Town continue to create as many chances as they did last term. Stags' biggest handicap last term was the lack of an out-an-out goalscorer and, with almost one in every two games for Orient last term and a career record of 165 goals in 322 games, Johnson believes he is the man Mansfield fans have been crying out for. “I am delighted to be here and I am looking forward to the season,” he said. “As a prolific goalscorer I back myself to score goals wherever I go. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/goal-machine-danny-johnson-backs-himself-to-shine-for-mansfield-town-next-season-3269010 “There has been a lot of changes at Leyton Orient and after discussions with the gaffer (Nigel Clough) here, everything fitted with what I was after. “For a striker he told me about creating chances which is what I want, and obviously the ambitions of the club and what he wants from me. “I had other offers in this league and above. But what it all came down to was what ticks all the boxes at this moment in my career? “I am 28 and I want to experience something positive. This ticks all those boxes.” Clough believes Johnson is in the prime of his career - and the striker agrees. “I would say so,” he said. “I have had a few seasons in Scotland and then obviously I've had a full season in League Two last year and scored quite a few goals from not many chances. “I do back myself and I put pressure on myself to score those goals, so I do believe I am hitting the prime of my career now and that I can kick on. “It's a build-up of everything - experience, knowledge of the game, my know-how to be in the right place at the right time as I was against Mansfield last season. “I feel as though I have got that ability to be there. “People say it's luck but it's down to anticipation and reading the game. I think I am coming into the peak of that.” Mansfield certainly felt the full force of Johnson as he bagged three goals against them in two games last season. “They were three poacher's goals,” he smiled. “One was reading off the rebound, and the first at Mansfield I just stood there and it hit me. As a striker you will take those all day long. “They're probably the better goals you like to score as you've done nothing for them but they mean so much. “The second in that game was gambling on a defensive mistake which last season I had a knack of penalising.” Johnson believes playing down the centre helped him to his 20 goals in 48 games for the O's last season. “I think it's down to a lot of things,” he said. “But throughout my career I have either played out on the left or right. I think last season was the first I had actually played down the middle every game. “It was going back to those natural instincts when you were younger and playing as a striker, I have always had that natural ability to score goals. “I am my own worst critic and if I am not scoring I will be very disappointed with myself. “I do score a variety of goals. I am a poacher and pride myself on my poacher's instincts and being in the right place at the right time. “But I scored a few goals last season from quite tight angles. “I do have the belief that when I get the chance for a shot I will put it away. “I do work hard, hassling defenders into mistakes, like I did all season. I am that energetic striker up front that wants to score goals for the team.” Johnson was delighted to hear Clough speak about the large number of wasted chances last season. “That was one of the main things he talked about - the number of chances created at the back end of the season,” he said. “Being a striker that's a dream. I need chances to score goals. “The pressure I put on myself is my driving force. I want to be the one that can score the goals for the team. “It's a bit ridiculous, but I do say I should score in every game. I know it's pretty impossible to do. But I believe if I am getting a chance in every game I should be putting it away.” Johnson is not setting an ultimate target as yet but is aiming high. “I do have a target I want to get to each season and the first one is double figures,” he said. “I don't really like to put a total figure on it but I do have high aspirations for my goal tally if I can get the chances. “If you look at the chances I had last season, that was a good goal return. But at the back end I could have had a few more when I look back. I was pleased to score 20 and I want to get past that next season.” Working under a big name like Clough was another great lure for him to join Mansfield. “I had a great meeting with him and that's one of the main reasons I have come to this club,” he said. “When you sit down and find a manager that everything clicks with with what he wants from you and what he can give you. “Obviously I can learn from him and that's a selling point for me.” Johnson has had some tough times in his life which have shaped him into the hungry player he is today. “I have had some non-league days when I was working in a factory and then I got back into the game,” he recalled. “That grounding of working 6-6 shifts in a factory then going to play football at nights gave me the hunger and drive to play at a professional level and just enjoy the game.”He is also looking forward to the return of fans after Covid. “When the fans are behind the team that's a positive, especially away teams coming to certain grounds. Last year it was pretty even without the crowds,” he said. But Johnson knows how competitive next season will be and won't take anything for granted. “Anyone can beat anyone in League Two and it's going to be a tough league with the teams that are coming down and the teams that missed out on promotion,” he said., “That top half is going to be really difficult. And the teams at the bottom can beat anyone on their day. So you have go to be switched on and turn up for every game.” He added: “I just need to find somewhere to live up here now and concentrate on getting fit in the process of moving to the area. “Not many people say it but I can't wait for pre-season. I've had a bit of a rest now and can't wait to get going.” -------------------- DANNY JOHNSON HAS LEFT LEYTON ORIENT FOLLOWING THE EXPIRY OF HIS CONTRACT, TO JOIN FELLOW SKY BET LEAGUE TWO CLUB, MANSFIELD TOWN. leytonorient.com, Thur 10 June 2021 The 28-year-old striker was offered a new contract to keep him in E10, but he has decided to join the Stags. Johnson, who signed for Orient in January 2020, managed 22 goals in 54 appearances. https://www.leytonorient.com/2021/06/10/johnson-joins-the-stags/ The Club would like to thank Danny for his contributions in an Orient shirt. ------------------- Orient striker Danny Johnson reportedly set to sign for Mansfield Town newhamrecorder.co.uk, Thur 10 June 2021 Leyton Orient striker Danny Johnson is reportedly set to sign for League Two rivals Mansfield Town. The 28-year-old, who was the O’s top goal scorer last season, has opted to go elsewhere following the expiration of his contract. Johnson found the net 20 times for Orient last term with 17 of them in the league. https://www.newhamrecorder.co.uk/sport/leyton-orient-striker-danny-johnson-to-mansfield-town-8043234 The forward has had spells at Middlesbrough and Hartlepool United during his youth days before a short spell in Spain with Real Murica. A return to England saw Johnson find the back of the net nine times in 21 appearances for Billingham Synthonia. In the 2013/14 season he scored 51 goals in 48 games for non-league Guisborough Town, securing a move to Championship side Cardiff. Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was in charge of the Bluebirds at the time and immediately sent the forward out on loan to Tranmere Rovers, where Johnson made his professional football debut, in a 0-0 draw against Mansfield Town. A second short loan with Stevenage followed before the forward sealed a deal with Gateshead. Johnson enjoyed his football at the National League side, hitting double figures in three consecutive seasons. The forward played against Orient in his time at the Heed and found the net on multiple occasions. Scotland would be his next location, firstly with Motherwell in the SPL and next for Dundee FC. Johnson then joined Orient in January 2020 and has been with the club for the past 18 months. ----------------- social media John Radford @JRadfordMTFC Welcome to the #Stags’ family, Danny. Pleased to get this one sorted; a prolific striker who’ll be with us for at least the next two seasons. We’re building, slowly but surely. COYS! David Sharpe @DavidSharpe91 Welcome to the Stags @Johnson11Danny!! Great to have you with us!! -------------------- |
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