I would like to introduce this new style of article on the site before I get into it, this is ‘Since Leaving City’, and I’m planning to do this every few weeks and go into focus on players from the past that are still playing and go in depth on how they have faired since leaving City. I’m trying to introduce as many new pieces as possible with this joining the ‘Player Ratings’ piece I will be doing every week. Once again, I’d like to say that if there is any content you want to see, then get in contact and tell me. As this is the first week, I’ll start with one of our former players, who is playing Premier League football for Nottingham Forest.
Brennan Johnson was a key part of that famous City squad that reached the EFL League One play-off final in the 20/21 season behind closed doors. He joined City in October 2020 on loan as the transfer window was extended due to a covid hit summer and we managed to beat some big teams to his signature due to the wage cap. Johnson made an instant impact with City, his full debut came against Blackpool away from home and it saw him win two penalties to help City to a late 3-2 win.
His first professional goal and first Lincoln City goal came against Plymouth at home at an eerie Sincil Bank. A cross came into the area and it was sweetly headed home by Johnson and that would be a goal that would kick off one hell of a future for the young lad. In usual 20/21 City fashion, he also won a penalty that was converted by Jorge Grant.
The Christmas period saw Johnson come into his real goalscoring form, in two games he scored four goals, also picking up two assists in two big wins for City, which made sure Michael Appleton’s side staying top of the division going into the new year. He netted two in our impressive win against Northampton on the 19th December 2020, pushing his tally up to three for the season. Just seven days later, we saw City take on Burton Albion on boxing day, and Johnson came into the game full of confidence and that showed with the Welshman picking up two goals and another assist.
City hit bad form in the second half of the season, but that didn’t stop Johnson impressing multiple times including a hattrick against MK Dons. His connection with Morgan Rogers showed in this game, with the Man City loan star assisting all of Johnson’s goals. Michael Appleton’s side fell into the play-offs due to mostly bad luck on the injury front, with key players such as Tom Hopper and Jorge Grant being side-lined with long injuries.
Since leaving City and returning to his parent club, Johnson has earned promotion to the top tier of English football after an impressive year in the Championship with Nottingham Forest. His sixteen goals in forty-six games bettered his Lincoln tally showing how much potential he really had. His first Forest goal came in one of the most important fixtures for the Reds whenever it is one the calendar and it was against Derby. He started to thrive under the management of Steve Cooper and became an essential part of his squad as it climbed from bottom of the Championship to the becoming the play-off winners.
After an impressive play-off semi-final campaign, Johnson had unfinished business at Wembley after losing there with Lincoln the year before and this time he wasn’t on the losing side with his Forest side beating Huddersfield by one goal to earn promotion to the promise land. Johnson also broke into the Wales side during his breakout two seasons at Lincoln and Forest and he has already reached a number of milestones with his country. The highlight of that will be reaching the World Cup for Qatar 2022 and scoring his first international goal on the 11th June 2022 in a 1-1 draw with Belgium.
Johnson has now found himself in Premier League football and so far he has got two goals for his side and managed to keep his place in the side despite Cooper’s side signing twenty-two players, a Premier League record. His first goal in the top tier came against Everton, with the Welshman tapping in a rebound with a smart finish. Johnson continues his Premier League journey this weekend in a massive game for his side against a struggling Leicester City side.