Ben Johnson should aspire for regular centre-back starting role as West Ham United injuries pile up
After a somewhat underwhelming season to date, West Ham United academy graduate Ben Johnson must now look to cement his position in David Moyes’ side – even if it is in an unfamiliar position.
The 23-year-old has been in and out of the team at the London Stadium this campaign, amassing just 551 minutes of Premier League football across ten appearances and recently falling below Vladimir Coufal in the pecking order at right-back.
However, following the January exit of Craig Dawson to the Wolves and the subsequent injuries to Aaron Cresswell, Nayef Aguerd and Kurt Zouma, Johnson may well be primed for a run in the starting XI.
Although naturally a right-back, the Englishman has the ability to feature as a centre-back in a back-five. Hammers legend Ledley King even suggested last season that the versatility of Johnson could well result in him becoming a centre-back in the long run. [Sun Sport, 19 May 2022]
He said: “Ben’s versatile, good with both feet, has good balance, and he’s a good size. In the modern game, especially in a back three, he could be one of the centre-backs.
“There are probably fewer aerial duels now than there were 15-20 years ago, you don’t have to be quite as big and physical, so he can definitely do that.”
Such words of high praise for Johnson highlight he clearly has the ability to play at the heart of the defence – and he must now look to stake a claim on this spot in Moyes’ side.
Although ExWHUemployee confirmed [Thursday, 16 February] fellow centre-back Aguerd’s injury was “not as bad as first feared”, Johnson should still be set for a rare start this weekend against Spurs (Sunday, 19 February), and he must look to make the most out of it.
If he can impress against the likes of Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min, he could well be awarded a run in the team for the crunch matches against Nottingham Forest and Brighton in the coming weeks.
With Thilo Kehrer also flattering to deceive in the right-sided centre-back role since his arrival at the club in the summer, Johnson will never face a better chance to prove his worth to West Ham United.