Source: PA
Hughes: Johnson could still play for England
Manager Mark Hughes has spelt out his desire to keep hold of fit-again Fulham striker Andrew Johnson and challenged him to regain his England spot.
The 29-year-old has been dogged by injury problems since moving to the Cottagers two and a half years ago. But he is showing signs of being back to his best and produced a typical sharp finish in the 2-2 draw at Aston Villa.
Johnson has only 18 months to run of his current contract but Hughes is keen to retain his services.
Hughes said: "We're starting to see the best of Andy Johnson now. He had a significant injury and he's been out for a considerable length of time. In fairness to him, he's played a number of games now and his performance levels have been good. All that's been lacking have been goals. Now thankfully he's added goals. He's in good shape at the moment.
"He looks strong. He's completing games at the right intensity and he's not fading out of games, which you would expect with the length of time that he's been out. He's been really splendid for the team. Everybody is delighted for him because of what he has been through."
Hughes added: "Andy has 18 months of his contract left. Do I want to keep him? Yes, absolutely. He's missed a lot of football and we're hopeful now that he'll have a run of games and his career will progress without injury."
