Joel Johnson (footballer)

Joel Johnson Alajarín (born 20 September 1992) is a Liberian footballer who plays for North American club Charlotte Independence as a right back.

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Johnson and the second or maternal family name is Alajarín.
Joel Johnson
Personal information
Full name Joel Johnson Alajarín
Date of birth (1992-09-20) 20 September 1992
Place of birth Torrent, Spain
Height 5 ft 11 1⁄4 in (181 cm)
Playing position(s) Right back
Club information
Current team
 Charlotte Independence
Number 22
Youth career
2000–2001 Torrent
2001–2009 Valencia
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2012 Valencia B 69 (1)
2010 Valencia 1 (0)
2012–2014 Real Madrid C 50 (0)
2014–2015 Jaén 16 (0)
2015–2016 Buñol 9 (0)
2016– Charlotte Independence 109 (0)
National team‡
2018– Liberia 8 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16:00, 21 October 2019 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 17:27, 9 September 2019 (UTC)

Club career

Born in Torrent, Valencia to a Liberian father and a Spanish mother, Joel was a product of Valencia CF's youth system. He made his senior debut at only 17, appearing with the reserves in Segunda División B and eventually suffering relegation.

On 8 March 2010, as both right-backs in the first team, Bruno and Miguel, were unavailable, Joel made his first La Liga appearance, playing the full 90 minutes in a 0–0 home draw against Racing de Santander.[1] Released on 30 June 2012, he went on to compete solely in the lower leagues, first with Real Madrid C and then with Real Jaén, both in the third tier.[2][3][4]

After a season with CD Buñol in Tercera División, Johnson signed with United Soccer League side Charlotte Independence on 6 April 2016.[5]

International career

Johnson received his first call for the Liberia national team on 31 August 2016,[6] being an unused substitute in the 1–4 away loss to Tunisia for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying phase the following week.[7] He only won his first cap on 9 September 2018, starting and playing 90 minutes in a 1–1 draw against DR Congo for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.[8]

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References
  1. Los Che frustrated by Santander again; ESPN Soccernet, 8 March 2010
  2. El Real Madrid C se refuerza con Joel Johnson (Real Madrid C bolster with Joel Johnson); Defensa Central, 19 July 2012 (in Spanish)
  3. Joel Johnson, último fichaje del Real Jaén (Joel Johnson, last signing of Real Jaén); Ideal, 1 September 2014 (in Spanish)
  4. El Buñol da con la tecla (Buñol hit the spot); Golsmedia, 16 November 2015 (in Spanish)
  5. Independence sign Spanish defender Johnson; USL Soccer, 7 April 2016
  6. Joel Johnson receives call up from Liberian national team Archived 15 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine; Charlotte Independence, 31 August 2016
  7. Tunisia beats Liberia 4–1 in Tunis – Togo thumps Djibouti 5–0 to qualify Archived 15 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine; Front Page Africa, 4 September 2016
  8. Thomas Kojo ‘impressed’ with Johnson’s debut performance; Liberian Observer, 12 September 2018
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