Sam Johnson (footballer, born 1992)

Born in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire,[3] Johnson started his career in the youth system at local club Stoke City, before being released at age 14.[5] He quickly joined the city's other local professional club – Port Vale, after youth-team coach Mark Grew spotted his potential.[5] In the 2010–11 season, he was handed a squad number after the club's number 1, Chris Martin, picked up a stomach bug.[5] Aged only 17, he still towered over the rest of the dressing room at six-foot six.[5] Johnson was not fazed by the prospect of a first-team debut, Grew comparing him to Paul Musselwhite in his unflappable, rather laid-back personality.[5] In April 2011, he was offered a one-year professional contract at the club.[6]

He spent September 2011 on loan at nearby Northern Premier League Premier Division club Stafford Rangers.[7] He made his debut in a 5–4 defeat by Hednesford Town at Keys Park on 29 August, though manager Greg Clowes refused to blame Johnson for the five goals conceded.[8] The loan was then extended into October.[9] He then went on to concede just nine goals in his next ten matches, and returned to Vale Park having played a total of thirteen matches. He agreed a new one-year contract with the Vale in May 2012.[10]

Chris Neal and Johnson were the club's only two professional goalkeepers in 2012–13. After Neal picked up a groin strain, manager Micky Adams had little recourse but to hand Johnson his debut on 9 October, in a Football League Trophy match with Walsall at the Bescot Stadium.[11] Before the match, Adams said "We think an awful lot of him in terms of his development, but he's a first-year professional and he'll either sink or swim."[12] Despite making "a string of important saves", he was unable to prevent the two Walsall goals in a 2–2 draw; however in a remarkable turn of events he saved three penalties and then went on to score the winning penalty as the 22nd penalty taker of the penalty shoot-out.[13][14][15]

"We were having a laugh before the game saying I was going to score the winning penalty, but I never dreamed it would happen. I've never actually taken one before, so to score one on my debut, and for it to be the winner, is just incredible. I've never, ever felt so nervous before I stepped up to take it. I just picked my corner and hoped their keeper would go the other way. Luckily he did."

— Johnson speaking after making "a debut that dreams are made of".[16]

Vale secured promotion to League One at the end of 2012–13, and though Johnson did not feature in any league matches, he was named as the club's young player of the season.[17] He signed a new two-year contract with the club in May 2013.[18]

Johnson made his debut in the Football League on 30 November 2013, again away to Walsall, and impressed after keeping a clean sheet in a 2–0 victory. After the match, Adams confirmed Johnson would keep goal in the absence of Chris Neal, who had injured his wrist in training.[19] He played seven league matches before Neal recovered and was returned to the first team.[20] He returned to the first team after Neal picked up another injury on 22 March.[20]

Johnson started 2014–15 as the club's first-choice goalkeeper.[21] Neal regained his first-team place after six matches, and Johnson was loaned out to Alfreton Town of the Conference Premier in November 2014 to gain more first-team experience.[22] He played four matches for Nicky Law's Alfreton before a shoulder injury cut his loan spell short.[23] He signed a new one-year contract with the Vale in June 2015.[24]

As Neal picked up an injury in pre-season, Johnson was due to start 2015–16 as first-choice goalkeeper.[25] However, manager Rob Page signed Jak Alnwick days before the opening match of the season after Johnson had a shaky pre-season, leaving Johnson as the club's third-choice goalkeeper.[26] He joined National League club FC Halifax Town on 27 November 2015 on a one-month loan.[27] His loan was extended to the end of the season after he gained a first-team place.[28] He played a total of 25 league matches for the club but could not prevent Halifax from being relegated at the end of 2015–16. He did though play at Wembley Stadium in the 2016 FA Trophy Final, and kept a clean sheet as Halifax beat Grimsby Town 1–0.[29]

In June 2016, it was announced that Johnson would spend 2016–17 on loan at National League club Gateshead.[30] He played the first ten league matches of the season, before losing his first-team place to Dan Hanford.[31] Having failed to win back a starting place, the loan was cancelled in January 2017.[32]

On 1 January 2017, Johnson returned to FC Halifax Town – now in the National League North – on loan until the end of 2016–17.[33] He kept three clean sheets in a row in February.[34] Halifax qualified for the play-offs after finishing in third-place, and beat Chorley 2–1 in the play-off final to secure promotion at the first attempt.[35] He was released by new Port Vale manager Michael Brown in May 2017 and signed a two-year contract with Halifax.[36][37] He made 47 appearances across the 2017–18 campaign as the "Shaymen" posted a 16th-place finish under the stewardship of Jamie Fullarton. He was the winner of the club website Player of the Year and runner-up for the Halifax Town Supporters Club award.[38]

He remained an ever-present over the course of the 54 game 2018–19 season, keeping 19 clean sheets, and subsequently was named as Halifax's Player of the Year, as well as Players' Player of the Year.[39][40] Showing modesty at this achievement, he stated that he thought Nathan Clarke would have won the award and thanked Clarke and Matty Brown for providing experience to the Halifax defence.[41] He made 41 appearances in the 2019–20 season, which was permanently suspended on 26 March due to the COVID-19 pandemic in England, with Halifax in the play-offs in sixth-place.[42] The play-offs took place four months later and Halifax were eliminated by Boreham Wood.[43]

Johnson played 45 games in the 2020–21 season, as Halifax missed out on the play-offs after losing to Chesterfield on the final day.[44][45] Speaking shortly after playing his 200th game for Halifax, Johnson said that he thought he had his weakest season for the club but had benefited from being tutored by goalkeeping coach Paul Oakes.[46] He signed a new two-year contract in June 2021.[47] He featured 51 times in the 2021–22 campaign, keeping 19 clean sheets to help Pete Wild's side to qualify for the play-offs with a fourth-place finish.[44][48] However they were beaten 2–1 by Chesterfield in the play-off quarter-finals.[49] He was named in the National League Team of the Season.[50][51]

He was an ever-present again in the 2022–23 campaign, keeping three clean sheets and being the victorious goalkeeper in three penalty shoot-out wins en route to the club's entirely away-from-home journey to the 2023 FA Trophy final.[44] He kept a clean sheet in the final as Halifax defeated Gateshead 1–0 to win the FA Trophy for the second time.[52]