In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Johnson and the second or maternal family name is Alajarín.
_(cropped).jpg) Johnson with Charlotte Independence in 2017 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Joel Johnson Alajarín | ||
| Date of birth | (1992-09-20) 20 September 1992 (age 32) | ||
| Place of birth | Torrent, Spain | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Right-back | ||
| Team information | |||
| Current team | Charlotte Independence | ||
| Number | 8 | ||
| 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) |
| 2016–2021 | Charlotte Independence | 146 | (3) |
| 2022 | Hartford Athletic | 34 | (4) |
| 2023– | Charlotte Independence | 57 | (10) |
| International career | |||
| 2018– | Liberia | 10 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18:34, 21 November 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 09:37, 11 December 2023 (UTC) | |||
Joel Johnson Alajarín (born 20 September 1992) is a professional footballer who plays as a right-back for USL League One club Charlotte Independence. Born in Spain, he represents the Liberia national team.
Club career
Born in Torrent, Valencia, to a Liberian father and a Spanish mother, Johnson was a product of Valencia CF's youth system. He made his senior debut at only 17, appearing with the reserves in the Segunda División B and suffering relegation in 2010.
On 8 March 2010, as both right-backs in the first team, Bruno and Miguel, were unavailable, Johnson made his only La Liga appearance, playing the full 90 minutes in a 0–0 home draw against Racing de Santander. 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.
After a season with CD Buñol in the Tercera División, Johnson signed with USL Championship side Charlotte Independence on 6 April 2016. Six years later, he joined Hartford Athletic of the same country and league.
International career
Johnson received his first call for the Liberia national team on 31 August 2016, being an unused substitute in the 4–1 away loss to Tunisia for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying phase the following week. 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.
References
- ^ Joel Johnson at WorldFootball.net
- Joel Johnson, a un paso de debutar (Joel Johnson, close to making debut); Las Provincias, 7 March 2010 (in Spanish)
- La victoria del Espanyol B certifica el descenso del Mestalla a Tercera (Espanyol B win confirms Mestalla's relegation to Tercera); Levante-EMV, 26 April 2010 (in Spanish)
- Los Che frustrated by Santander again Archived 24 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine; ESPN Soccernet, 8 March 2010
- Joel: "Impresiona jugar en Mestalla" (Joel: "It's impressive to play in Mestalla"); Las Provincias, 9 March 2010 (in Spanish)
- El Real Madrid C se refuerza con Joel Johnson (Real Madrid C bolster with Joel Johnson); Defensa Central, 19 July 2012 (in Spanish)
- Joel Johnson, último fichaje del Real Jaén (Joel Johnson, last signing of Real Jaén); Ideal, 1 September 2014 (in Spanish)
- El Buñol da con la tecla (Buñol hit the spot); Golsmedia, 16 November 2015 (in Spanish)
- Independence sign Spanish defender Johnson; United Soccer League, 7 April 2016
- Hartford Athletic signs veteran USL Championship defender Joel Johnson; Hartford Athletic, 18 March 2022
- Joel Johnson receives call up from Liberian national team Archived 15 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine; Charlotte Independence, 31 August 2016
- 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
- Thomas Kojo ‘impressed’ with Johnson’s debut performance Archived 25 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine; Liberian Observer, 12 September 2018
External links
- Joel Johnson at BDFutbol
- Joel Johnson at Futbolme (in Spanish)
- Joel Johnson at LaPreferente.com (in Spanish)
- Joel Johnson at National-Football-Teams.com
- Joel Johnson at Soccerway
| Charlotte Independence – current squad | |
|---|---|
|
- 1992 births
- Living people
- People from Torrent, Valencia
- Spanish people of Liberian descent
- Liberian people of Spanish descent
- Naturalized citizens of Liberia
- Sportspeople of Liberian descent
- Spanish men's footballers
- Liberian men's footballers
- Footballers from the Province of Valencia
- Men's association football fullbacks
- La Liga players
- Segunda División B players
- Tercera División players
- Valencia CF Mestalla footballers
- Valencia CF players
- Real Madrid C footballers
- Real Jaén footballers
- USL Championship players
- USL League One players
- Charlotte Independence players
- Hartford Athletic players
- Liberia men's international footballers
- Spanish expatriate men's footballers
- Liberian expatriate men's footballers
- Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States
- Spanish expatriate sportspeople in the United States
- Liberian expatriate sportspeople in the United States
- 21st-century Spanish sportsmen