Source: Daily_Mail
The making of Johnson: From skinny kid to flying winger at the richest club
Adam Johnson has been an instant hit in the Barclays Premier League at Manchester City, having been the most expensive signing in the January transfer window. [LNB]But who is the ex-England Under 21 winger, who was signed from Middlesbrough for £7million? Sportsmail's COLIN YOUNG talks to the people who know him best.[LNB] Instant hit: Manchester City's Adam Johnson [LNB]Dave JohnsonAdam's father [LNB]He kicked a little ball round the house all day. His mum Sonia just let him get on with it. Mind you, there were no ornaments below shoulder height. [LNB]I'd also spend many, many hours out on the field, playing in goal. Adam loved tricky, speedy wingers like Ryan Giggs and David Ginola. [LNB]On school holidays, he would attend coaching courses run by Sunderland. He'd pick up 'best player' or 'player with the best attitude' awards. So we knew even then he could play. [LNB]He wanted to play 11-a-side football but there were no teams in Sunderland, so we took him to Cleveland Juniors in Middlesbrough. [LNB]George BlakeCleveland Juniors chairman, Adam's former coach and brother of Burnley striker Robbie. [LNB]He was seven - and he was phenomenal. Like a young Giggs. He just ran with the ball for fun. Played with a smile on his face. He scored 50 to 60 goals a season and had this natural ability to keep the ball. [LNB]His dad Dave started helping me out and we won the league and cup double for a couple of seasons, plus about 20 cups. He scored a fantastic scissor kick to get us to the final of one tournament in York.[LNB] I run a free soccer academy every Saturday morning and I always tell the kids Adam Johnson played for me. [LNB]Starstruck: Schoolboy Johnson meets Gary Lineker[LNB]Dave Johnson He was scouted for Newcastle and we travelled to the academy two or three nights a week for a couple of years, then Middlesbrough scout Peter Kirtley invited us to a trial.[LNB] Adam was very small. His size did worry me. I knew you had to have something special like Juninho and Zola, but his technical ability really was never in doubt. [LNB]Ron BoneMiddlesbrough academy recruitment officer [LNB]The first time I saw him, I loved him. He was exciting. He was 10 and an old-school, natural winger. [LNB]He had some really tough years and found it very difficult coping physically. He would get very frustrated and I had to tell him to be patient. At 16, he suddenly started to grow. [LNB]Dave Parnaby Middlesbrough academy director [LNB]He was a dot. He had all the traits but the only concern was his growth and development. Some go through puberty and adolescence at a young age, some don't become a fully grown specimen until they are 21 or 22. [LNB]Adam is still developing. It was not until he was 16 that he started to grow. Adam had pelvic issues and the muscles and bones were not growing at the same rate, but we were all patient and the medical staff get a pat on the back for getting him through it. Because he was small and skinny, he found Under 18 football very tough. [LNB] Wing wizard: Stoke's Rory Delap is floored by the wide man's pace and skill[LNB]Adam's rise is 90 per cent down to him, but his parents have played a role too. They have a humbleness which is very commendable. [LNB]There have been occasions when we have had to give him a little telling off, just to keep him on the right track, nothing major. But after his move to City, Adam rang out of the blue to say thank you for helping him on his journey. [LNB]Gareth Southgate Former Middlesbrough manager [LNB]We sent him on loan to Watford for a reason. We had 17 clubs inquiring about him. I thought Aidy Boothroyd would be the right person to help him develop. [LNB]The difficulty was he did so well people started asking: 'Why are we letting a player out on loan when he could be helping us?', but he wasn't quite able to have the same impact in the Premier League at that age.[LNB] Reach for the stars: A young Johnson (in blue and white Manchester United top) meets Emlyn Hughes[LNB]Aidy BoothroydFormer Watford manager (now manager of Colchester)[LNB] He was great. We had him only three months, but he scored five and got five assists. Although we reached the play-offs, I have absolutely no doubt that we would have gone up automatically if he had stayed. But Gareth wanted him back. [LNB]I can remember exactly where I was when the phone went and Gareth's name flashed up. I knew he would want to take Adam back. I was tempted to ignore the call and change my number immediately![LNB] He was great to work with and we tried to develop his game and worked on his weaker right foot. Players away from home learn about life living on their own, and simple things like eating properly and sleeping normally. [LNB]He has a fantastic family. They're working class, they've followed him everywhere, including his young sister, Faye. He looks like a superstar now but the lads used to give him stick because he looked like he should have been served with an ASBO.[LNB] But he earned their respect immediately because he could do things they couldn't. He has that little bit of X-factor. [LNB]Gareth Southgate Adam made his Middlesbrough debut in the UEFA Cup in Lisbon and he came on in Stuttgart the season we reached the final. I remember that because Steve McClaren was going nuts because he was just picking the ball up and running with it and Steve was screaming at him to track back. [LNB]He has the ability to excite supporters and there is so much more to come. Physically he is still growing and the end product will continue to improve. And he still needs to work on his final ball. [LNB] Graduate: The North East lad was a star pupil at the Middlesbrough academy[LNB]Dave Johnson We spoke to Gareth and Steve Gibson last summer and they always said if a big club came in they would not stand in his way. They kept asking Adam to sign a new contract, and the offers were very good, but we all felt it was right to wait. [LNB]Gordon Strachan was equally supportive and honest with us from day one. When Manchester City came in with their offer, Gordon called Adam into his office, told him and just said: 'Go home. Let me sort it for you.' [LNB]Gareth Southgate I am not surprised he started so well at City because he has had a good season at Middlesbrough and he will feel great about himself. A club like Manchester City have come for him now, rather than wait until the end of the season, they've paid good money and said they really want him.[LNB] [LNB]International: Johnson in England Under 21 action[LNB]It is a fantastic return for a graduate and Middlesbrough can re-invest in areas that need strengthening. [LNB]Dave Johnson It was tough for Adam around Christmas when his mum was taken ill with meningitis. She'd been in bed for weeks with flu symptoms but she really wanted to go to the North East Football Writers' dinner in Durham because Adam had won Young Player of the Year. [LNB]On the way home she said she had a hell of a headache, she took some pain-killers and went to bed. I found her unconscious on the floor in the morning. It was touch and go for a while and she was in hospital for nearly three weeks, and Gordon was good enough to give him two weeks off. [LNB]Sonia didn't like missing the games. We've missed very few over the years. We went to the UEFA Cup final and the Under 21 Championship in Sweden. [LNB]Best goal? England Under 21s against Ecuador, he lobbed the ball over two players and into the top corner.[LNB] We speak every day and he's loving it. He will never change. He's from a colliery background. He knows where he has come from and what it's taken to get where he is now. [LNB] MAN CITY v Liverpool: Patrick Vieira starts suspension but Craig Bellamy could featureMan City eye £24m Yaya... but Barcelona use star to lure Arsenal jewel FabregasVIDEO: Roberto Mancini on his row with Manchester City striker Craig BellamyMANCHESTER CITY FC
