Biography
Who is Sam Johnstone?
Early life and background
Samuel Luke Johnstone was born on March 25, 1993, in Preston, Lancashire, United Kingdom. He grew up in the area and attended Ashton-on-Mersey School during his youth. His father, Glenn Johnstone, was also a professional footballer. Sam has a younger brother named Max, who later pursued a career in football as well, joining the Manchester United youth system in 2016.
His football path began at the academy level after he was discovered by a scout named Colin Fairhurst. He initially played for a club based in Chorley called Euxton Villa before moving to the Manchester United setup. During the 2010–11 season, he established himself as the primary goalkeeper for the academy squad.
Club career and loans
Early in his professional life, Sam Johnstone went on several loan spells to gain experience. This included time at Oldham Athletic and Scunthorpe United in 2011. He later spent time with Walsall in 2013 and joined Yeovil Town for a short period that same year. In 2014, he had a loan stint at Doncaster Rovers, where he made his debut against Middlesbrough at the Keepmoat Stadium.
In 2015, he joined his hometown club, Preston North End, on loan. He played a key role in their success that season, keeping a clean sheet during the 2015 League One play-off final at Wembley Stadium, which helped the team achieve promotion to the Championship. He later returned to Preston for a second stint in early 2016.
West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace
In July 2018, Sam Johnstone signed a four-year contract with West Bromwich Albion for a fee reported at £6.5 million. He was the first-choice goalkeeper for the club, helping them earn automatic promotion to the Premier League for the 2020–21 season. Despite the team facing relegation that year, his individual performance earned him three club awards: Supporter's Player of the Year, Player's Player of the Year, and the PFA Community Champion Award.
Following his time at West Brom, he moved to Crystal Palace on a free transfer in June 2022 to serve as a backup goalkeeper. He made his debut for the club in an EFL Cup victory against Oxford United. In April 2023, he made his first Premier League appearance for Palace in a 5–1 win against Leeds United, receiving praise for his performance. By August 2024, Wolverhampton Wanderers signed him on a four-year deal.
International experience
Sam Johnstone has represented England at various youth levels, including the under-16, under-17, under-19, and under-20 squads. He was part of the England under-17 team that won the UEFA European Under-17 Championship in 2010. Later, he played in the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup, appearing in all three of England's matches during the tournament.
He received his first call-up to the senior England squad in March 2021 for World Cup qualifiers. He was also named in the squad for the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament. He made his senior international debut in a pre-tournament friendly against Romania in June 2021, which resulted in a 1–0 win. In October 2023, he returned to the international stage to keep a clean sheet in a victory over Australia at Wembley Stadium.
Birthday and age
Sam Johnstone was born on March 25, 1993, which makes Sam 33 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aries sign. Sam shares the date with 58 other famous people.
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