Richard Johnson (soccer)

Richard Johnson
Born	(1974-04-27) April 27, 1974 Kurri Kurri, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation(s)	Professional footballer (retired), Football academy director
Years active	1991–2009
Known for	Football career at Watford and other clubs; academy director at Watford FC

Richard Mark Johnson (born 27 April 1974) is a retired Australian professional footballer.

Johnson dedicated 12 years to the English club Watford, where he made 278 appearances and played a pivotal role in securing consecutive promotions to the Premiership in 1999. Following a loan spell at Northampton Town, he went on to represent Colchester United, Stoke City, Queens Park Rangers, and Milton Keynes Dons before concluding his playing days in the A-League with stints at Newcastle United Jets, New Zealand Knights, and Wellington Phoenix.

Since 2018, Johnson has been involved in several administrative capacities at Watford and currently serves as the club's academy director.

Club career

Originating from Kurri Kurri, New South Wales, Johnson started his football journey with Weston Workers Bears prior to relocating to England, where he joined Watford’s youth academy. He made his first-team debut during the 1991–92 season and earned the "Goal of the Season" accolade in 1994–95 for a remarkable 30-yard strike against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Although initially a sporadic presence in the squad, Johnson established himself as an essential player under manager Graham Taylor in the 1997–98 campaign. Alongside Micah Hyde, he formed a strong central midfield pairing that contributed significantly to Watford’s triumph in the 1997–98 Division Two Championship. Notable moments included a long-distance goal during a 4–0 victory over local rivals Luton Town. The partnership endured into the following season, culminating in success at the play-off final against Bolton Wanderers. However, injuries curtailed his involvement during Watford’s inaugural Premiership season.

In April 2000, Johnson sustained ruptured knee ligaments in a match versus Manchester United, which kept him sidelined until April 2001. A subsequent setback forced him to miss the entire 2001–02 season. After brief returns interrupted by further injuries, he was loaned out to Northampton Town in February 2003 to regain match fitness, scoring once across six appearances.

Following his release from Watford in October 2003—having amassed 277 appearances and netted 22 goals—Johnson had a short spell at Colchester United, featuring once in the Football League Trophy. He then signed for Stoke City, where he appeared nine times before transferring to Queens Park Rangers in February 2004. During his time at QPR, Johnson contributed to their promotion from Division Two by making 11 appearances.

Starting the 2004–05 season as part of QPR’s first team, he eventually lost his place due to the increased demands of Championship football. A loan move to Milton Keynes Dons followed, resulting in three appearances. Upon returning to QPR, he was unable to reestablish himself and was released at season’s end without further game time.

A-League

Johnson returned home to Australia by joining his hometown side Newcastle United Jets in the newly inaugurated A-League. He played an influential role during their first season, helping secure fourth place under manager Richard Money, starting in 20 of 23 matches. In the off-season of 2006, Johnson signed with fellow A-League outfit New Zealand Knights for their final campaign.

In May 2007, Johnson agreed to terms with the newly formed A-League franchise Wellington Phoenix FC. Earlier that year, he faced legal issues after being arrested for drink driving in Newcastle; initially sentenced to eight months imprisonment, his conviction was later reduced on appeal to a suspended sentence accompanied by a fine, allowing him to continue fulfilling his contract with Wellington.

On 11 February 2009, Johnson declared his intention to retire from professional football following the conclusion of the 2008–09 A-League season.

Post-playing career

In January 2019, Johnson took on the role of technical director at National League South club Wealdstone, concurrently holding the position of business development manager at his former team, Watford. After three years in this capacity, he transitioned to become head of academy partnerships at Watford in February 2021. Just three months later, he advanced to the role of academy director within the club.

International career

Johnson received his only full international cap for the Australian national team during a match against the Czech Republic on 29 March 2000. Additionally, he appeared twice in fixtures versus a Brazilian 'B' squad.

Career statistics

Sources:

... [table continues as original] ...

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		League Cup		OtherTemplate:Ref label		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Watford	1991–92	Second Division	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
	1992–93	First Division	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
	1993–94	First Division	27	0	1	0	1	0	1	0	30	0
	1994–95	First Division	35	3	1	0	4	0	0	0	40	3
	1995–96	First Division	20	1	2	0	2	1	0	0	24	2
	1996–97	Second Division	37	2	4	0	2	0	2	0	45	2
	1997–98	Second Division	42	7	5	0	4	0	0	0	51	7
	1998–99	First Division	40	4	1	1	0	0	3	0	44	5
	1999–2000	Premier League	23	3	1	0	(1)	0	(0)	0	(25)	(3)
	2000–01	First Division	3	0	0	0	(0)	0	(0)	0	(3)	(0)
	Career Total			328	23	18	1	16	1	8	0	370	25

A.  The "Other" column accounts for appearances and goals accrued in the Anglo-Italian Cup, EFL Trophy, and English Football League play-offs.

International

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Australia	2000	1	0
Total		1	0

Honours

Watford

• Football League First Division Playoff Champion: 1998–99
• Football League Second Division Title Winner: 1997–98

External links

• Oz Football profile