Portsmouth ‘keep the ball rolling’ as Johnson snapped up after Blackburn exit
Portsmouth Women were always going to be busy in the transfer window this summer.
Jay Sadler’s side released six players and lost another six loanees back to their parent clubs at the end of last season. It is crucial to replace these players.
Sadler has quietly been doing good business as the summer goes on, recruiting the likes of goalkeeper Jess Gray and defender Jazz Bull.
Now, they have followed up on these signings by snapping up former Blackburn defender Lucy Johnson on a two-year contract.
Lucy Johnson becomes Pompey Women’s latest signing
Johnson is an attack-minded left-back who featured heavily for Blackburn Rovers in the second half of last season.
Blackburn decided not to renew her contract, allowing her to move to Fratton Park on a free transfer. Her two-year contract comes with the option of an extension for a further year.
Johnson, 23, trained with Leicester City Women’s youth team before flying to the United States to spend four seasons at Arizona State University. She earned a degree in criminology and criminal justice while developing her game with the Arizona Sun Devils.
Johnson has been capped by England at youth level and made headlines by scoring directly from a corner at the under-17 Women’s European Championship.
Sadler has a big job on his hands to improve Portsmouth side
Sadler did a great job of keeping Portsmouth in the Women’s Championship last season. He was honoured for this achievement after being named WSL2 manager of the year.
His team looked dead and buried after a disastrous start to the season. However, with the help of several savvy signings, the team’s form improved dramatically, and they sealed their ‘great escape’ on the final day of the season against Blackburn at Fratton Park.
| Team | Games Played | Points |
| 9. Portsmouth | 20 | 13 |
| 10. Blackburn Rovers | 20 | 12 |
| 11. Sheffield United (R) | 20 | 9 |
Now, Sadler has the task of building an even better team almost from scratch.
To replace 12 departing players is no easy task. They have recruited a handful of proven players this summer, but more will be needed.
Johnson showed her quality during her short spell with Blackburn last season. It should prove to be a real coup to sign her. Her dynamic style should add a new threat to Pompey’s attack. It will be interesting to see how her game develops under Sadler.
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