{{short description|English footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}} {{Use British English|date=December 2019}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Darnell Johnson | image = | fullname = Darnell Tobias Jack Johnson<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.premierleague.com/news/1238361 |title=Premier League clubs publish retained lists |publisher=Premier League |date=7 June 2019 |accessdate=7 June 2019}}</ref> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1998|9|3}}<ref name="11v11">{{cite web |url=https://www.11v11.com/players/darnell-johnson-254984/|title=Darnell Johnson|website=11v11.com |publisher=AFS Enterprises |accessdate=13 April 2019}}</ref> | birth_place = Leicester, England | height = {{convert|1.85|m|order=flip}}<ref name="11v11"/> | position = Defender | currentclub = Oxford City | clubnumber = 6 | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Leicester City | years1 = 2018–2021 | clubs1 = Leicester City | caps1 = 0 | goals1 = 0 | years2 = 2019 | clubs2 = → Hibernian (loan) | caps2 = 1 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 2020–2021 | clubs3 = → Wigan Athletic (loan) | caps3 = 10 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 2021 | clubs4 = → AFC Wimbledon (loan) | caps4 = 11 | goals4 = 0 | years5 = 2021–2023 | clubs5 = Fleetwood Town | caps5 = 3 | goals5 = 1 | years6 = 2023–2024 | clubs6 = Forest Green Rovers | caps6 = 9 | goals6 = 0 | years7 = 2025– | clubs7 = Oxford City | caps7 = 1 | goals7 = 0 | club-update = 14:09, 30 April 2024 (UTC) | nationalyears1 = 2013–2014 | nationalteam1 = England U16 | nationalcaps1 = 2 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | nationalyears2 = 2014 | nationalteam2 = England U17 | nationalcaps2 = 7 | nationalgoals2 = 0 | nationalyears3 = 2015 | nationalteam3 = England U18 | nationalcaps3 = 2 | nationalgoals3 = 0 | nationalyears4 = 2016–2017 | nationalteam4 = England U19 | nationalcaps4 = 6 | nationalgoals4 = 0 | nationalyears5 = 2017–2018 | nationalteam5 = England U20 | nationalcaps5 = 4 | nationalgoals5 = 2 | ntupdate = 20:39, 25 January 2021 (UTC) }} '''Darnell Tobias Jack Johnson''' (born 3 September 1998) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for Oxford City.
==Club career== After featuring in friendly games ahead of the 2018–19 season, he signed a three-year contract with Leicester City in August 2018.<ref name = "leics contract">{{cite press release |url=https://www.lcfc.com/news/798316/darnell-johnson-signs-new-threeyear-contract/press-release |title=Darnell Johnson Signs New Three-Year Contract |publisher=Leicester City FC |date=8 August 2018 |accessdate=7 February 2019}}</ref> He moved on loan to Scottish Premiership club Hibernian on 31 January 2019, for the rest of the 2018–19 season.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47081822 |title=Hibernian sign Marc McNulty, Darnell Johnson and Gael Bigirimana |publisher=BBC Sport |date=31 January 2019 |accessdate=31 January 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/leicester-citys-good-project-continues-2516473 |title=Leicester City's 'good project' continues as Knight and Johnson vie for first-team places |first=Jordan |last=Blackwell |work=Leicester Mercury |publisher= |date=7 February 2019 |accessdate=7 February 2019}}</ref> Johnson made his first appearance for Hibernian in a 2–0 defeat against Celtic on 6 February.<ref name = "debut"/> He was subsequently suspended for two matches for a challenge he made on Emilio Izaguirre during that match.<ref name = "debut">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47178859 |title=Darnell Johnson: Hibernian defender faces ban for challenge on Celtic's Emilio Izaguirre |publisher=BBC Sport |date=8 February 2019 |accessdate=8 February 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47218082 |title=Darnell Johnson: Hibernian defender banned for two matches |first=Scott |last=Mullen |publisher=BBC Sport |date=12 February 2019 |accessdate=12 February 2019}}</ref>
On 28 September 2020 he went to Wigan Athletic on loan until 4 January 2021.<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.lcfc.com/news/1846539/former-player-remembers-bruno-berner/featured|title=Darnell Johnson Signs New Three-Year Contract|publisher=Leicester City FC|date=28 September 2020|accessdate=30 September 2020}}</ref>
After the end of his loan spell at Wigan, he went on loan to AFC Wimbledon from 25 January 2021 until the end of the season<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lcfc.com/news/1983807/afc-wimbledon-loan-for-darnell-johnson |title=AFC Wimbledon loan for Darnell Johnson |publisher=Leicester City FC |date=25 January 2021 |accessdate=25 January 2021}}</ref>
In June 2021, it was announced that Johnson would be released from Leicester City upon expiry of his contract at the end of the season.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Blackwell |first1=Jordan |title=Leicester City retained list published as nine players released and contracts offered |url=https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/leicester-city-retained-list-published-5493942 |access-date=5 June 2021 |work=Leicestershire Live |date=4 June 2021}}</ref>
On 2 August 2021, Johnson signed for EFL League One club Fleetwood Town on a two-year contract.<ref>{{cite news |title=Darnell Johnson joins Cod Army |url=https://www.fleetwoodtownfc.com/news/2021/august/darnell-johnson-joins-cod-army/ |access-date=2 August 2021 |work=Fleetwood Town |date=2 August 2021}}</ref> He was released from the club following the 2022–23 season.<ref>{{cite news |title=Retained list: first team |url=https://www.fleetwoodtownfc.com/news/2023/may/release-retained-list/ |access-date=5 July 2023 |work=Fleetwood Town FC |date=9 May 2023}}</ref>
On 4 August 2023, Johnson signed for Forest Green Rovers after impressing on a trial.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Forest Green sign Johnson and Kadji |language=en-GB |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/66411981 |access-date=2023-08-04}}</ref> He was released following relegation at the end of the 2023–24 season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fgr.co.uk/news/retained-and-released-list-2024|title=Retained and Released List 2024|website=www.fgr.co.uk|date=30 April 2024|accessdate=30 April 2024}}</ref>
Johnson signed for National League North side Oxford City in July 2025.<ref>{{cite web |title=Darnell Johnson Signs For Oxford City |url=https://www.oxfordcityfc.co.uk/darnell-johnson-signs-for-oxford-city |website=Oxford City FC |access-date=23 October 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251023075020/https://www.oxfordcityfc.co.uk/darnell-johnson-signs-for-oxford-city |archive-date=23 October 2025 |date=31 July 2025}}</ref> He made his debut on 8 August 2025, against AFC Fylde.<ref>{{cite web |title=Darnell Johnson |url=https://www.oxfordcityfc.co.uk/individual-player/6 |website=Oxford City FC |access-date=23 October 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250831004830/https://www.oxfordcityfc.co.uk/individual-player/6 |archive-date=31 August 2025}}</ref>
==International career== In November 2013, Johnson was captain of the England under-16 team against Northern Ireland in the Victory Shield.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thefa.com/news/2013/nov/08/u16s-victory-shield-northern-ireland-shea-conaty-bournemouth|title=Northern Ireland edge Victory Shield game in Bournemouth|publisher=The Football Association |date=8 November 2013 |accessdate=1 April 2019}}</ref> Johnson was part of the England under-19 team that won the 2017 UEFA European Under-19 Championship,<ref name = "leics contract"/> playing the full game against Portugal in the final.<ref name = "Under19">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40619862 |title=European Under-19 Championship: England beat Portugal in final |publisher=BBC Sport |date=15 July 2017 |accessdate=1 April 2019}}</ref>
In August 2017, Johnson scored for the England under-20 team against the Netherlands.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefa.com/news/2017/aug/31/england-u20s-3-0-netherlands-report-310817|title=Young Lions kick-off new campaign with clinical victory against the Dutch in Telford|publisher=The Football Association|date=31 August 2017|accessdate=1 April 2019}}</ref>
==Personal life== Johnson is the godson of former Leicester City and England player Emile Heskey.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sport.bt.com/news/darnell-johnson-hopes-to-follow-godfather-emile-heskeys-example-at-hibs-S11364332403961 |title=Darnell Johnson hopes to follow Godfather Emile Heskey's example at Hibs |publisher=BT Sport |date=1 February 2019 |accessdate=7 February 2019}}</ref>
==Career statistics== {{updated|end of 2023–24 season}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National Cup !colspan="2"|League Cup !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan=5|Leicester City U21s |colspan="2"|2016–17 EFL Trophy<ref>{{soccerbase season|100648|2016|accessdate=1 January 2021}}</ref> |colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||1<ref group=lower-alpha name="EFLT">Appearances in the EFL Trophy</ref>||0||1||0 |- |colspan="2"|2017–18 EFL Trophy<ref name = "sb17">{{soccerbase season|100648|2017|accessdate=1 January 2021}}</ref> |colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||1<ref group=lower-alpha name="EFLT" />||0||1||0 |- |colspan="2"|2018–19 EFL Trophy<ref name = "sb18">{{soccerbase season|100648|2018|accessdate=1 January 2021}}</ref> |colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||3<ref group=lower-alpha name="EFLT" />||0||3||0 |- |colspan="2"|2019–20 EFL Trophy<ref name = "sb19">{{soccerbase season|100648|2019|accessdate=1 January 2021}}</ref> |colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||6<ref group=lower-alpha name="EFLT" />||0||6||0 |- !colspan=2|Total !colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||11||0||11||0 |- |rowspan=5|Leicester City |2017–18<ref name = "sb17" /> |Premier League |0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0 |- |2018–19<ref name = "sb18" /> |Premier League |0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0 |- |2019–20<ref name = "sb19" /> |Premier League |0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0 |- |2020–21<ref name = "sb20">{{soccerbase season|100648|2020|accessdate=1 January 2021}}</ref> |Premier League |0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0 |- !colspan=2|Total !0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0 |- |Hibernian (loan) |2018–19<ref name = "sb18"/> |Scottish Premiership |1||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||1||0 |- |Wigan Athletic (loan) |2020–21<ref name="sb20" /> |League One |10||0||0||0||0||0||1<ref group=lower-alpha name="EFLT" />||0||11||0 |- |A.F.C. Wimbledon (loan) |2020–21<ref name="sb20" /> |League One |11||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||11||0 |- |Fleetwood Town |2021–22<ref name = "sb21">{{soccerbase season|100648|2021|accessdate=2 December 2021}}</ref> |League One |3||1||0||0||0||0||1<ref group=lower-alpha name="EFLT" />||0||4||1 |- |Forest Green Rovers |2023–24<ref name="sb23">{{soccerbase season|100648|2023|accessdate=30 April 2024}}</ref> |League Two |9||0||2||0||1||0||2{{efn|name="EFLT"}}||0||14||0 |- !colspan=3|Career total !34!!1!!2!!0!!1!!0!!15!!0!!51!!1 |}
{{Reflist|group=lower-alpha}}
==Honours== '''England U19''' *UEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2017<ref name="Under19"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Oxford City F.C. squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Darnell}} Category:1998 births Category:Living people Category:English men's footballers Category:Leicester City F.C. players Category:Hibernian F.C. players Category:Wigan Athletic F.C. players Category:AFC Wimbledon players Category:Fleetwood Town F.C. players Category:Forest Green Rovers F.C. players Category:Oxford City F.C. players Category:England men's youth international footballers Category:Men's association football defenders Category:Scottish Professional Football League players Category:English Football League players Category:National League (English football) players Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:21st-century English sportsmen