Simon Johnson (footballer)

Simon Ainsley Johnson (born 9 March 1983) is an English football coach and former professional player who played as an attacking midfielder. He played in the Premier League for Leeds United and made 175 Football League appearances spread over eight clubs before moving into non-league football. He represented England at under-20 level.

Playing career
Johnson was born in West Bromwich and attended Stuart Bathurst Catholic High School. He left at 14 to join Leeds United, and continued his education at Boston Spa Academy. He signed his first professional contract at Elland Road in July 2000, but with a number of strikers ahead of him in the pecking order, he did not make his senior debut until he was loaned to Hull City. In his first match for the Tigers, on 13 August 2002 at Bristol Rovers, he was brought on as a substitute and scored an 85th-minute equaliser which secured a 1–1 draw. Late in the 2002–03 season he made his Premier League debut for Leeds in the 6–1 defeat of Charlton Athletic, replacing Alan Smith. A 2003 feature on the Football Association's website likened him to Smith, as a "tenacious and skillful target man [who] knows where the goal is."

Over the next two seasons, Johnson only made sporadic appearances for Leeds and was loaned to Blackpool, Sunderland, Doncaster Rovers and Barnsley for first-team experience. He was released by Leeds at the end of the 2004–05 season – he later stated he had not been informed by the club but had found out via a newspaper headline.

In June 2005, he signed for Darlington on a free transfer where he enjoyed regular first-team football, but fell out of favour under manager Dave Penney after nearly signing for Wycombe Wanderers. He joined Hereford United on 8 August 2007, initially on a short-term contract, which was later extended. In his first season at Edgar Street he was used mainly as a winger and made little impact until he scored a last-minute equaliser against Wycombe in December 2007. He made his first league start of the season in the following match, and featured regularly for the remainder of the season as Hereford won promotion to League One. In that season's FA Cup, he scored an inspirational winner against Tranmere Rovers to send Hereford into the fourth round for the first time in 16 years. The following season, Johnson was used mainly as a substitute, failed to score, and left the club by mutual consent on 21 April 2009.

Johnson joined Bury on a three-month deal in August 2009, and made his debut as late substitute in a 3–0 loss to AFC Bournemouth, but left the club after the first month.

He moved into non-league football with Halesowen Town and Solihull Moors, before joining his fourth club of the 2009–10 campaign, Guiseley, in March 2010. Johnson made 11 appearances as Guiseley won the Northern Premier League Premier Division, and committed his future to the club ahead of their upcoming campaign in the Conference North. After being linked with Hibernians in Malta, Johnson rejoined Solihull Moors on loan in September 2010, before signing permanently in January 2011. He finished his playing career with Hinckley United and Hinckley, before coming out of retirement to make one substitute appearance in the FA Vase for Highgate United during a short spell – July 2021 to January 2022 – as manager of the Midland League club.

Honours
Hereford United
 * Football League Two third place: 2007–08

Guiseley
 * Northern Premier League Premier Division: 2009–10
 * Northern Premier League Peter Swales Shield: 2009–10