Denny Johnstone

Denny Johnstone
Personal information
Date of birth (1995-01-09) 9 January 1995[1]
Place of birth Dumfries,[2] Scotland
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[3][4]
Playing position Striker
Club information
Current team
 Birmingham City
Number TBC
Youth career
2003–2008 Queen of the South
2008–2013 Celtic
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2013–2014 Celtic 0 (0)
2014– Birmingham City 2 (0)
2014–2015 → Macclesfield Town (loan) 9 (3)
2015 → Cheltenham Town (loan) 5 (1)
2015 → Burton Albion (loan) 5 (1)
2015–2016 → Greenock Morton (loan) 35 (14)
National team‡
2010–2011 Scotland U16 4 (1)
2011–2012 Scotland U17 10 (1)
2013 Scotland U18 1 (0)
2013–2014 Scotland U19 9 (3)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 12:26, 2 May 2016 (UTC).
† Appearances (goals)

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 29 August 2015

Denny Johnstone (born 9 January 1995) is a Scottish footballer who plays for Birmingham City. A striker, he began his career with Celtic, but left in 2014 without making a first-team appearance. He spent time on loan with Conference club Macclesfield Town and League Two clubs Cheltenham Town and title-winners Burton Albion in 2014–15. He has represented Scotland from under-16 to under-19 level.

He had a loan spell with Morton in 2015-16 season.

Personal life

Johnstone was born in Dumfries.[2] His great-grandfather was the East Fife and Queen of the South Scottish League internationalist footballer Bobby Black, and several other members of his extended family played football professionally.[5][6] He attended St Ninian's High School, Kirkintilloch, as a beneficiary of the partnership between the school and Celtic.[7][8]

Club career

Queen of the South

As a child, Johnstone played for Queen of the South, before getting his move to Celtic.[9]

Celtic

Johnstone opened the scoring in Celtic U19's first match in the 2012–13 NextGen Series at home to Sporting Lisbon, but they were unable to retain the lead,[10] and eventually finished bottom of their group. He contributed to Celtic winning the Scottish Premier under-20 League, and scored with his first touch of the ball to confirm their Scottish Youth Cup victory, beating Dunfermline Athletic's under-20s 3–1.[11]

Celtic's qualification for the group stages of the 2013–14 Champions League meant that their youth team would play in the UEFA Youth League, in groups that mirrored those of the senior team. Johnstone scored against Barcelona's youth team,[12] and produced a good performance playing as a lone striker in a 4–1 win against Ajax.[13] He felt that the competition had improved his understanding of the game, and that, having been an unused substitute for Celtic, he thought himself ready for first-team football, perhaps on loan.[14] Writing in his Scottish Sun column, Des McKeown suggested that Celtic's determination to win every competition they enter, at whatever level, hindered the progression of youngsters out of the youth teams.[15] By the end of the season, Johnstone had made no senior appearances, and he rejected the offer of a new contract. He was attracted by a move to Dundee United, but the clubs were unable to agree a compensation figure and Dundee United pulled out of any deal because of the uncertainty involved with a fee set by tribunal.[16][17]

Birmingham City

Ahead of the 2014–15 season, Johnstone trained with English Championship club Birmingham City, where Alan Thompson, with whom he had worked at Celtic, was development coach. It was reported that Birmingham tried to persuade Celtic to accept a large sell-on clause instead of a fee, but by 30 July, their budget had stretched to an acceptable figure and Johnstone signed a three-year contract.[2] He made his senior debut on 19 August, replacing Wes Thomas after 81 minutes of the 2–2 draw with Ipswich Town in the Championship.[18]

Loans

Johnstone joined Conference Premier club Macclesfield Town on 27 November 2014 on loan for a month,[19] and made his debut as a second-half substitute in a 3–1 defeat at Barnet,[20] and scored his first goal on his fifth appearance. Six minutes after coming into the Conference visit to Alfreton Town, he "forc[ed] the ball over the line from close range" to complete a 5–1 win.[21] Despite his loan being twice extended, first to 7 January 2014 and then until the end of the season,[22] he was recalled by Birmingham on 2 February, the last day of the transfer window, and loaned to League Two club Cheltenham Town for the rest of the campaign. Cheltenham had wanted to secure the player on a permanent contract, but Birmingham would not sell.[23]

Johnstone scored his first Football League goal after 24 minutes of his third appearance, with Cheltenham already two goals behind at home to Bury on 14 February. Wes Burns won the ball in midfield and Johnstone controlled his pass and produced "an unerring finish"[24] from the edge of the penalty area.[25] He was recalled in early March, after scoring once in five league appearances.[26]

On the last day of the loan window, 26 March, Johnstone joined League Two Burton Albion on loan until the end of the season.[27] He made his Burton debut on 3 April, playing the first hour of a 1–1 daw away to Plymouth Argyle as a lone striker. According to the Burton Mail, he "did reasonably well leading the line and looks a useful target man."[28] In Johnstone's third appearance, after Carlisle United took an early lead, he needed lengthy treatment following a clash of heads, but was able to return to the field; in the eighth minute of stoppage time, he scored an equaliser from a goalmouth scramble.[29] He was an unused substitute in Burton's last match of the season which confirmed them as League Two champions.[30]

Johnstone joined Scottish Championship club Greenock Morton on 31 July 2015 on loan for the 2015–16 season. Birmingham included an option to recall the player in January.[31] He made his debut the following day in a 5–0 defeat of Elgin City in the League Cup, back-heeling Morton's second goal and showing "good hold-up play and an ability to bring others into the play".[32]

International career

Johnstone has represented Scotland at all levels up to under-19.[1]

Career statistics

As of match played 1 May 2016
Club statistics
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Celtic 2013–14[33] Scottish Premiership0000000000
Birmingham City 2014–15[34] Championship200000—20
2015–16[35] Championship 000000—00
Macclesfield Town (loan) 2014–15[36] Conference93——1[lower-alpha 1]0103
Cheltenham Town (loan) 2014–15[34] League Two51———51
Burton Albion (loan) 2014–15[34] League Two51———51
Greenock Morton (loan) 2015–16[35] Scottish Championship 35144142004317
Career total 56194142106522
  1. ↑ Appearance in FA Trophy

References

  1. 1 2 "Denny Johnstone". Scottish Football Association. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 Tattum, Colin (30 July 2014). "Birmingham City sign Scotland under-19 international Denny Johnstone". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  3. ↑ "Denny Johnstone". Stats centre. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  4. ↑ "Player profiles: Denny Johnstone". Birmingham City F.C. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  5. ↑ "Bobby Black" Queens Legends on www.qosfc.com
  6. ↑ Ponting, Ivan (24 September 2012). "Bobby Black: Footballer considered unlucky not to be capped by Scotland". The Independent (London). Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  7. ↑ Wilson, Richard (2 December 2010). "With seven players in Scotland's under-16 squad, Celtic are leading the way in youth development revolution". The Herald (Glasgow).
  8. ↑ McGregor, Derek (12 April 2014). "Kids get football lessons". Scottish Sun. p. 7 – via NewsBank.
  9. ↑ Mitchell, Jonathan (27 August 2015). "Homecoming win was special to Denny". Greenock Telegraph. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  10. ↑ Haggerty, Anthony (7 September 2012). "NextGen Series: Celtic 1 Sporting Lisbon 2". Daily Record (Glasgow). Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  11. ↑ Temple, Alan (2 May 2013). "Dunfermline U20 1–3 Celtic U20: Kennedy's side champs". The Scotsman. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  12. ↑ Fisher, Stewart (2 October 2013). "Celtic youth taught a lesson by world's brightest young talent". The Herald (Glasgow). Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  13. ↑ Henderson, Mark (4 November 2013). "Johnstone's Euro target for young Celts". Celtic F.C. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  14. ↑ Friel, David (12 December 2013). "Den's big thank EU". Scottish Sun. Retrieved 5 August 2014 – via NewsBank.
  15. ↑ McKeown, Des (7 December 2013). "Left out in the Gauld". Scottish Sun. Retrieved 5 August 2014 – via NewsBank.
  16. ↑ Duthie, Tom (30 April 2014). "Celtic kid Denny Johnstone keen on Dundee United move". Evening Telegraph (Dundee). Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  17. ↑ "Dundee United end interest in Celtic striker". The Courier (Dundee). 26 June 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  18. ↑ "Birmingham 2–2 Ipswich". BBC Sport. 19 August 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  19. ↑ "Johnstone joins Macclesfield on loan". Birmingham City F.C. 27 November 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  20. ↑ Thomason, Eleanor (29 November 2014). "Macclesfield suffer defeat at Barnet". Macclesfield Town F.C. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  21. ↑ Glendinning, Mike (20 December 2014). "A Macc-nificent win at sorry Alfreton". Macclesfield Express. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  22. ↑ Thomason, Eleanor (24 December 2014). "David Gonzalez: Macclesfield Town midfielder departs". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
    "Johnstone loan spell extended". Birmingham City F.C. 12 January 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
  23. ↑ Dick, Brian (2 February 2015). "Denny Johnstone joins Cheltenham on loan after Blues refuse to sell him". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  24. ↑ Young, James (14 February 2015). "Cheltenham Town slide into the League Two drop zone after fourth consecutive defeat, as Bury hold on to narrow victory". Gloucestershire Echo. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  25. ↑ Nelson, Craig (15 February 2015). "Verdict: Cheltenham Town 1 Bury 2". Bury Times. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  26. ↑ "Denny Johnstone: Cheltenham loanee returns to Birmingham". BBC Sport. 9 March 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  27. ↑ "Denny Johnstone joins Burton Albion". Birmingham City F.C. 26 March 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  28. ↑ "Burton Albion pegged back by late Plymouth Argyle equaliser". Burton Mail. 3 April 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  29. ↑ "Burton Albion: Johnstone salvages late draw for Brewers to ease frustration". Derby Telegraph. 16 April 2015. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  30. ↑ "Cambridge 2–3 Burton". BBC Sport. 2 May 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  31. ↑ "Denny Johnstone heads out on loan". Birmingham City F.C. 31 July 2015. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  32. ↑ Crawford, Kenny (1 August 2015). "Morton 5–0 Elgin". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  33. ↑ "Celtic squad details 2013/14". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  34. 1 2 3 "Games played by Denny Johnstone in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  35. 1 2 "Games played by Denny Johnstone in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  36. ↑ "D. Johnstone". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 26 January 2015.

External links

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