Date of Birth
23 Oct 1951
Birthplace
Liverpool
Nationality
English
Signed for LFC
1976
LFC Debut
21 Aug 1976
LFC Appearances
213
LFC Goals
78
International Caps
8
David Johnson served both Liverpool and Everton with great distinction as a predatory goalpoacher.
He was already a well-known striker scoring 46 goals in 187 league matches for the Blues and Ipswich Town before coming to Liverpool.
He actually scored as a 20 year old against Liverpool in the Goodison 'derby' on 13th November 1971, a feat he would also repeat for Liverpool at Goodison in 1980. Although picked from the start for the first eight First Division fixtures of 1976-77, many of David's 26 league appearances that year were from the substitute's bench but he still easily qualified for the first of his three league championship medals.
David scored in the final league match of the season, away to Bristol City, and that was enough to earn him a place in the FA cup final team to meet Manchester United. But he was substituted by Ian Callaghan during the final and 'Cally' kept his place for the European cup final in Rome four days later. Injured for much of the next season, Johnson again missed out on a European medal in 1978 but finally achieved his dream by being part of the side that lifted the trophy for the third time at the Parc des Princes, Paris in 1981.
Johnson finally managed to establish himself in the 1978-79 season, followed by his best season scoring 27 goals in 1979-80, forming a powerful partnership with Dalglish. That form earned him eight England caps and he scored twice in a 3-1 win against world champions Argentina at Wembley in 1980. Ian Rush's emergence in 1981 relegated Johnson to the bench and he resigned for his first club Everton in August 1982.
Other Clubs:
Everton, Ipswich, Everton (2), Barnsley (loan), Man City, Tulsa Roughnecks (USA), Preston, Barrow (amateur), Naxxar Lions (MAL)