Roger Johnson 'will be a hit' with Birmingham City fans

Jun 28 2009 by Andy Walker, Sunday Mercury

‘‘He will always go out there and give you 110 per cent, he’ll play through injuries and fight for every cause so there’s no doubt that the Blues fans will be on his side.

“He’s good in the air and he doesn’t let anything beat him, he absolutely hates losing. He is just a great player to have on your side.

“Another thing about Roger is that he scores goals as well, He’s scored between 15 and 20 goals, which is a fantastic record for a centre-half, and he’s a big threat in the opposition’s penalty box.”

Having arrived from Wycombe for £275,000 in 2006, Johnson went on to become a firm Cardiff favourite and won two straight player-of-the-season awards with the Welsh club.

His performances in recent seasons, including an FA Cup final appearance, had seen him become one of the Championship’s highest rated centre-backs.

Now Purse is confident that Johnson can take the next step in his career and compete against the world’s best.

“I do think he’s good enough to play in the Premier League, I’ve seen a lot of Roger in the Championship and he kept me out of the Cardiff team for most of it. “When he first arrived he was very raw but he has come on leaps and bounds.

“Now he’s gained that experience, it puts him in good stead to go on and become an established Premier League player.

“This is a deserved opportunity for him.

‘‘Now hopefully he can help keep Birmingham up there and prove that it is a great move for him and for Birmingham City.”

Having paid out an initial £2 million for Johnson’s services, Blues are believed to have agreed to pay another £2 million in a year’s time and then an extra £1 million in add-ons in the future.

Technically, that agreement has already seen Blues again smash their record payout for a defender in just under two weeks following the £3.5 million, rising to £4 million, paid to Coventry for Scott Dann.

However, Purse believes that Johnson will ensure that it is money well spent.

“I don’t know the exact details of the transfer fee but he will aim to pay back every penny with his performances. I’m sure he will prove himself worthy of whatever contract he has signed.”