Ben Johnson is an Academy of Football graduate who won both the UEFA Europa Conference League and UEFA European U21 Championship in the summer of 2023.
A two-footed and versatile defender, Johnson has been with West Ham United since the age of seven, impressing with his technical ability, maturity and work ethic.
The defender made his first-team debut at Manchester City in February 2019 and has since gone on to establish himself in the first-team squad, passing the 100-appearance mark in February 2024.
Career
Started the 3-3 Premier League 2 home draw with Southampton on 22 September 2023...Made his first senior appearance of the season in the 1-0 EFL Cup third-round win at Lincoln City on 27 September 2023...Started the 4-0 EFL Trophy win at Cheltenham Town on 7 November 2023...Started the 1-0 UEFA Europa League group-stage win at FK TSC in Serbia on 30 November 2023...Assisted Jarrod Bowen's consolation goal in the 1-5 EFL Cup quarter-final defeat at Liverpool on 20 December 2023...Made his first Premier League appearance of the season in the 2-0 home win over Manchester United on 23 December 2023...Made his first Premier League start of the season in the 0-0 home draw with Brighton & Hove Albion on 2 January 2024...Made his 100th appearance for West Ham United in a 4-2 home Premier League win over Brentford on 26 February 2024.
Started both legs of West Ham United's UEFA Europa Conference League Play-Off round win over Viborg of Denmark in August 2022...Started the final four of West Ham United's six UEFA Europa Conference League Group B victories...Provided an assist for Pablo Fornals' opening goal in the 3-0 UEFA Europa Conference League Group B win at FCSB in Romania on 3 November 2022...Started the EFL Cup third-round defeat by Blackburn Rovers at London Stadium in November 2022...Started the 4-0 UEFA Europa Conference League Group B round of 16 second-leg win over Cypriot side AEK Larnaca at London Stadium on 16 March 2023...Made his sixth and final UEFA Europa Conference League Group B start and appearance in the 1-1 quarter-final draw at KAA Gent in Belgium on 13 April 2023...Made 17 Premier League appearances, including nine starts...Started all three FA Cup ties, including wins at Brentford and Derby County in spring 2023...Played for England U21s in international matches with France and Croatia in March 2023...An unused substitute as West Ham United beat Fiorentina to win the UEFA Europa Conference League in Prague on 7 June 2023...Part of England's squad which won the UEFA European U21 Championship in July 2023, appearing in all three group-stage wins and the quarter-final victory over Portugal.
Made his European debut by starting the 2-0 UEFA Europa League Group H win over Rapid Vienna at London Stadium on 30 September 2021....Started four straight Premier League victories over Everton, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Liverpool in October/November 2021...Scored the opening goal in a 4-1 Premier League win at Aston Villa on 31 October 2021.
Made a career-high 14 Premier League and 20 first-team appearances in total...Replaced the injured Ryan Fredericks in the 4-0 home top-flight win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on 27 September 2020...Scored his maiden Premier League goal in a 2-2 home draw with Brighton & Hove Albion on 27 December 2020...Started at left wing-back in the 3-0 home Premier League win over Sheffield United on 15 February 2021...Started all three EFL Cup ties - wins over Charlton Athletic and Hull City and a defeat at Everton...Started FA Cup wins over Stockport County and Doncaster Rovers and appeared as substitute in the fifth round defeat at Manchester United.
Started West Ham United's final three Premier League games of the season as the Irons staved off relegation - a 3-1 home win over Watford and 1-1 draws with Manchester United and Aston Villa...Captained the U21s to a thrilling 5-4 EFL Trophy win at Newport County in September 2019...Totaled seven Premier League 2 appearances as the Hammers won promotion from Division 2.
Started the opening 15 Premier League 2 Division 1 matches of the season, helping the Hammers to away wins at Tottenham Hotspur, Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City...Started all three EFL Trophy group-stage ties...Made his full debut in a 1-0 Premier League defeat at Manchester City on 27 February 2019...Signed a new contract until summer 2022 on 20 March 2019...Totaled 20 Premier League 2 and three EFL Trophy appearances and one goal.
Appeared twice in U18 Premier League South in September/October 2017...Made his first Premier League 2 Division 1 appearance of the season in the 2-0 home defeat by Liverpool on 18 September 2017...Recorded an assist in the 2-1 Premier League 2 Division 1 win at Sunderland on 24 September 2017...Started three EFL Trophy ties, recording an assist in the 3-1 group-stage win at Bristol Rovers on 31 October 2017...Named on the substitutes' bench in the Premier League for the first time at Manchester City on 3 December 2017...Signed a new contract until summer 2020 on 25 January 2018...Captained the U23s in the Premier League 2 Division 1 defeat at Chelsea on 11 March 2018...Made 14 Premier League 2 Division 1 appearances, starting 13 times.
Became a full-time scholar on 1 July 2016...Started 19 times in U18 Premier League South, grabbing an assist in the 3-2 victory at home to Swansea City on 22 October 2016...Made his Premier League 2 Division 1 debut as a second-half substitute in the 2-2 draw at home to Leicester City on 10 February 2017.
Honours
West Ham United
UEFA Europa Conference League (2023)
Young Hammer of the Year (2020/21, 2021/22)
