Daniel Johnson - A unique Preston North End legend that leaves a huge hole at the club

The Jamaican joined the club in January 2015 and helped them win promotion that summer, a 4-0 play-off final win over Swindon Town at Wembley.

In the following eight full seasons, Johnson has been vital in North End first solidifying themselves as a Championship club again and pushing towards the top six.

He burst onto the scene at PNE, after signing for just £50,000 from Aston Villa, a number now famous around PR1. It took him only four games to find the back of the net for the first time, going on to score in four consecutive matches including a lovely effort from the edge of the box against former club Oldham Athletic. That spell of goalscoring form saw him net eight times in just 14 matches as Preston finished their season with silverware.

Then came the challenge of the Championship and Johnson made the step up with ease, playing 44 games in both of his first two years in the second tier.

He developed into more and more of a senior player and could be heard on the pitch, conducting play and marshalling his side. With the departure of Simon Grayson and arrival of Alex Neil in 2017, the midfielder was given a new lease of life, taking to the new pressing, possession based style effortlessly.

Johnson was played as an ‘eight’ in Alex Neil’s system early on, showing a bit of defensive awareness that so far had rarely been asked of him, with Ben Pearson able to do the rest. He was also used further forward towards the end of Neil’s reign at Deepdale, shining in the no.10 role once his close friend and teammate Callum Robinson had departed.

With more room to work in, ‘DJ’ scored 12 times and laid on six more goals as he was voted the Player of the Year for 2020.

Then began the first of two contract sagas for the creative midfielder, him being one of four with their deals due to expire at the end of the 2020/21 season. Fresh off the back of his best season for the club, Johnson was tied down for a further two-and-a-half seasons, up until the end of this month.

Johnson continued to be an important player in the heart of North End’s midfield and became vice-captain of the club. With a new manager in Ryan Lowe the role remained the same, a huge figure in the dressing room and on the pitch and the chief creator in the side, stepping up even more after the retirement of Paul Gallagher six months before Lowe’s arrival.

As he entered his final year of his contract this season, Johnson’s form faltered and he was limited to game time from the bench. Form is only temporary however and he ended the campaign, once again, as a fixture in the side.

But it is a story of endurance, a story of class and all seemingly done without breaking a sweat. Johnson was a unique figure during his time at North End, he would simply glide around the turf at Deepdale.

Despite not being a typically physical bustling midfielder, the 30-year-old played at least 30 games in every single full season at PNE. A testament to his fitness, professionalism and willingness to work for the badge.

Time seems to slow down when Johnson has the ball at his feet and that will be an asset that will be missed as he departs North End, 20th on the club’s all-time appearance list with 336 games and fourth in the all-time penalty charts, with 20 to his name and only one miss.

A cool character, his relaxed demeanour rubbed off on players and fans alike and particularly when he was down on his haunches 12 yards out, there was never any doubt that DJ would deliver.

He has left his mark on Deepdale, his flags and banners will remain on the terraces as he leaves with the well wishes of all connected to PNE – though they will not look forward to seeing him pull on the short of one of their rivals.

A big player leaves a big hole in the Lilywhites squad, who were keen to keep him around, but he wants a new challenge and so it is instead goodbye to a PNE legend.