England exile acted as spur to Johnson

My Account
Logout

Create an Evening Standard Account

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Welcome! Sign in here

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Forgot your password ?

Registration

* indicates fields that are mandatory

Email *

Password *

Confirm Password *

First name *

Surname *

Postcode *

Country *

Mobile phone number

Username *

Gender *

Year of birth *

When you sign up...

You will have access to all our online competitions, discounted offers and can post comments on our site.

You will also receive The Weekender newsletter sent every Thursday - it’s full of fantastic offers and ideas for the weekend. You can update your email preferences in your account page when you log in.

Other newsletters and emails

Homes & Property Newsletter - Yes I want to receive the weekly email with all the latest news on property in the capital

Occasionally we would also like to send you relevant emails detailing specific offers either from ourselves or carefully selected partners. If you would prefer not to receive these then please tick the appropriate boxes below. We will never pass on your details.

I do not want to receive additional offers and information from the Evening Standard

I do not want to receive additional offers and information sent by Evening Standard on behalf of carefully selected partners

Terms and Conditions

* I have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of Evening Standard

Registration

Mail Sent for Registration Confirmation.

A confirmation email has been sent. Please activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent in your mail box.

The Liverpool defender, who arrived from Portsmouth this summer, was the scapegoat in 2005 after a woeful night in Copenhagen when Sven-Goran Eriksson's men lost to Denmark and he paid the price under the Swede's successor McClaren, but was recalled under Fabio Capello after rediscovering consistency at Pompey.

"I wasn't picked much when McClaren was involved but going through things like that has made me the person I am today," said Johnson, who is in the frame to start against Holland on Wednesday in an Amsterdam friendly.

"There's nothing worse than not playing football. Some people have outbursts but I tried to keep my head down and stay focused."

Johnson describes his development as "turning into a man", which he was able to do with the help of Harry Redknapp and Paul Hart at Pompey, with Rafael Benitez now looking to reap the benefits of his maturity.

"I've aged," Johnson added. "I'm improving all the time and that has been a key factor. Before I didn't play so it's impossible to put in performances if you don't play."

He offers Benitez and Capello an attacking option going forward and took centre stage against Andorra at the end of last season.

"Fabio has been really positive with bombing on when we can but also picking our moments," he said.

"You can't go gung-ho and start running all over the place, but he is more than keen about getting the full-backs to push on."