The £100,000 Portsmouth man surprisingly bombed out at Fratton now bouncing back after promotion pain

There were a fair few eyebrows raised when Danny Cowley called time on the defender’s Pompey career.

Plenty of Blues followers were fans of Callum Johnson’s after 46 dependable performances, as £100,000 was splashed out to land the right-back from Accrington in 2020 under Kenny Jackett.

He didn’t fit the bill for Cowley, however, though supporters were quick to cast doubt on the decision with ‘bizarre’, ‘very poor’ and ‘Pompey making a mistake’ just some of the comments made 12 months later.

After a period where big money had been wasted on Ellis Harrison and John Marquis, it was more cash spurned - a sequence which made the club’s owners nervous over investment, until Richard Hughes’ arrival as sporting director.

For Johnson, he was afforded the chance to find regular football with Fleetwood, before a switch north of the border to Ross County and then move to Mansfield at the start of last year.

The 27-year-old made 35 appearances under Nigel Clough, but saw four months of this season curtailed by a serious hamstring injury. Johnson returned, however, for the final-day celebrations at Barrow as Mansfield went up to League One in third place.

Joy quickly turned to pain, however, earlier this month when the former Middlesbrough man was one of four players released by the Stags.

Now, however, Johnson has found himself a new home at one of the heaviest hitters in the lower echelons of the EFL, after being handed a 12-month agreement at Bradford. And after success this term and a previous promotion with Accrington, Johnson is looking to make it a four-tier treble.

He told Bradford’s official site: ‘I am delighted to be here. I spoke to the manager and knew straight away that I wanted to sign. 

‘Everyone will say the same, but the size of the club is really what brought me here. I have played for big clubs before and been successful. I have been promoted from League Two twice in my only two full seasons at this level, so am aiming to add a third here.

‘I have predominantly played right-back in a back four and, in a back three, I can play at right centre-back as well as right wing-back. Keeping clean sheets is the main aim, but I do like to get forward and contribute further up the pitch too.

‘The manager said everything I wanted to hear, and told me the way he wants to play. We have spoken about where he sees me and where I feel most comfortable, and we have the same ideas on where I play my best football. 

‘I am looking forward to getting going, and striving to reach our goals.’