Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Connor O'Neill

Graeme Souness pays emotional tribute to former Liverpool team-mate David Johnson

Graeme Souness has paid a touching tribute to David Johnson after the former Everton and Liverpool forward passed away aged 71.

Johnson made 213 appearances and scored 78 goals in six years at Anfield. He also had two spells at Everton and played eight times for England, scoring six goals.

Johnson began his career at Goodison Park and scored in the Merseyside derby against Liverpool in 1971. He would go on to score for Liverpool against Everton nine years later.

READ MORE: John Aldridge pays heartfelt tribute to 'larger than life' David Johnson after former Liverpool striker dies

READ MORE: Former Liverpool and Everton striker David Johnson dies aged 71

The former forward also spent four years at Ipswich Town alongside brief periods at Barnsley, Manchester City, Preston North End. He also turned out for teams in the United States and Malta later in his career.

It was at Anfield, though, where Johnson's exploits are best remembered. He won 10 major honours that included four First Division titles and three European Cups during his 271 appearances for the Reds.

Johnson had been ill for some time, having been diagnosed with throat cancer in recent years before the sad news of his death was made public on Wednesday morning. And speaking on Wednesday evening on ITV, Souness paid a heartfelt tribute to his former Anfield team-mate.

He said: “Extremely sad, when people pass normally everyone says 'what a good guy', well this guy was genuinely a good man, a great teammate, extremely popular in the dressing room, we called him 'The Doc' because every day he’d turn up to training with a bag of medicines and if we had a hangover, a tummy upset, he was the go-to man.

“I can’t tell you how good he was, he was a lovely human being and didn't have a bad bone in his body. As a player, he was the perfect forward for Kenny Dalglish in those days.

“He’d run forward without the ball, was extremely athletic, and would go for crosses and get himself injured, as I said already he was just a great guy.”

READ NEXT:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.