The name of David Johnson will live long in the memory of Ipswich Town fans of a certain era, as he was one of the most prolific EFL strikers of the late 1990’s when arriving in Suffolk.

Johnson joined the Tractor Boys in November 1997 from Bury, for a fee of £1.1 million – not long after they swooped for Matt Holland from AFC Bournemouth in a similarly impactful transfer.

It was a risky transfer in Ipswich’s history due to the large sum of money the club paid for the striker at the time. However, it was a transfer that soon paid off, with the striker delivering some iconic moments during his time in East Anglia.

The Jamaican is notably remembered in his career for the goals he scored for Ipswich rather than anywhere else in his career. Johnson made just shy of 150 appearances for the Tractor Boys, where he scored 60 goals in that time.

David Johnson became a cult hero among Ipswich Town fans

Having failed to make the grade at Man United at professional level after scoring frequently for their youth sides, Johnson was picked up by nearby Bury – then in the fourth tier of English football (Third Division) – on a free transfer in 1995.

Johnson was a success at Gigg Lane, albeit not prolific, as he helped the Greater Manchester outfit from Division Three to Division One (Championship) during his time at the club, but the time came to make a seven-figure switch to Portman Road in November 1997.

He settled into life quickly in East Anglia, and despite having a small taste of the second tier with Bury, Johnson had to step up another level to fit in with a better quality of team-mate – it didn’t take him long though, as he scored 20 times in 31 league outings in his first season with Town.

After notching a goal on his debut versus Wolves, he had quickly introduced himself to the Portman Road faithful – and what came after for the striker only got better.

In all of Johnson’s three seasons in the First Division for Ipswich, the striker tallied up double digits for goals, including a standout 1999/2000 campaign where he found the net 22 times in the league, making him one of the most prolific strikers outside of the Premiership

After winning promotion with Bury in back-to-back seasons, it became a common theme that Johnson’s goals became the reason for the club’s success wherever he went. His proven goalscoring ability made him a gem of a transfer for Ipswich, who can look back at the transfer now as £1.1m well spent despite the risk the signing brought with it at the time.

Johnson’s goals had a lasting impact on Ipswich Town’s history.

As well as being a major contributor to the Tractor boys’ First Division success, this continued into their play-off campaign in 1999/2000 as, after three consecutive play-off defeats in the semi-finals in the seasons prior, Johnson was a key part of the Ipswich team that took them back to England’s upper echelons.

The striker’s final season for Ipswich, however, was rather disappointing, as he couldn’t find a rhythm in front of goal and make the step up to the Premiership when it was all said and done, going goalless in 14 appearances under George Burley.

Even though he provided flashes of brilliance in the League Cup, Johnson couldn’t replicate that form in the Premiership, which led to his sale to Nottingham Forest for £3.5 million in January 2001, which represented a significant profit just over three years after he arrived in Suffolk.

Circumstances around his exit could have been a lot smoother, but ultimately he’ll always be remembered for the good times he gave Ipswich fans, ending with 62 goals in 158 appearances – averaging a goal every 2.55 games.

David Johnson proved to be a second tier cheat code after leaving Ipswich Town

At the time of his move from Ipswich to the City Ground, Nottingham Forest boss David Platt said: “It’s a tremendous lift for us, and it’s no secret that we’ve been looking for a goalscorer for a long time… This is a boost for everyone at the club – players, management, staff, supporters and the board, who have pushed the boat out with this deal.”

It didn’t click instantly for Johnson at the Tricky Trees though. Finding the back of the net just five times from 41 First Division outings between January 2001 and February 2022, the pacey striker was sent out on loan to both Sheffield Wednesday and Burnley, with the latter stint being particularly successful with five goals in just eight appearances.

And after a permanent switch to Turf Moor fell through, Johnson returned to Forest and appeared to turn into the version that the club thought they were getting over a year and a half prior, as he fired in 29 goals from his 47 matches played over the course of the 2002-03 season – a return to prolific form.

That was where Johnson’s career would peak – injuries would mean that the striker would never hit the heights again of that one season with Forest, or the few years he had with Ipswich, although he did play 31 times in the Championship for the red half of Nottingham in 2004-05, but only scored six times.

Despite not being as successful for Forest overall as he was for Ipswich, he may be fondly remembered more for his services off the pitch instead, with his son, Brennan Johnson, being a key player for the club before making a big-money move to Tottenham.

At Ipswich though, Johnson is held in much higher regard, etching his name in the history books as one of the club’s most value-for-money signings.

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