Brennan Johnson: “It’s a dream come true for me to play for a club of this stature”
Tue 05 September 2023, 10:30|
Tottenham Hotspur
Brennan Johnson's rise in football over the last four years has been remarkable - and now the forward is hoping he can keep that upwards trajectory going in Lilywhite.
Signed from from Nottingham Forest on Friday night (1 September), with the forward putting pen to paper on a contract until 2029, Brennan has enjoyed quite the rise in football to date.
From taking his first steps onto a professional football pitch in August, 2019, with our legendary Michael Dawson his captain no less, to reaching the League One Play-Offs, Championship Play-Offs and then the Premier League before stepping out at the World Cup as part of the first Wales team in 64 years to qualify at the 2022 tournament in Qatar, it has been an incredible rise.
Now though, a new and even greater challenge awaits as he takes the next step in his career, but this is an opportunity the young winger has always dreamt about and he is only looking up.
"It's special being a Spurs player," Brennan beamed in his first interview with the Club, late on Friday night. "It's a dream come true for me to play for a club of this stature. If I went back and saw myself where I am now, I wouldn't believe it for a second, but everything happens for a reason. I've enjoyed the ride so much and I'm really proud of where I am now – I can't wait to keep pushing forward."
Unveiled as a Spurs player on deadline day, the move signalled the next step up in Brennan’s fledging career which has already seen him progress through Forest’s youth ranks to become a fan favourite at his boyhood club.
After a successful loan spell at Lincoln City in League One in 2020/21, his first full campaign at the City Ground came the following season where the forward starred as the Nottingham club gained promotion from the Championship via the play-offs, scoring 19 goals in all competitions. Then last season he scored eight times in 38 Premier League matches to play a big part in helping Steve Cooper's side retain their Premier League status.
Now in Lilywhite for 2023/24 and beyond, the Wales international goes up a level again and will join up with Head Coach Ange Postecoglou and his new team-mates, who are on a real high after stretching our unbeaten start to the league season to four games whilst playing an attacking, possession-based brand of football.
When asked about his journey to date, Brennan said: "It was a dream come true to play for Nottingham Forest's first team, being from the area I really enjoyed every minute of playing for them. It was really special, but I felt now was the right time to really try and kick on and I'm buzzing to be here at Spurs.
"The way the Club's going at the minute it feels like it's in such a good moment and going in the right direction. Everyone's onboard, the fans are unbelievable, the manager has come in and the players have got behind him so at this moment in time it was the perfect decision for me and something I wanted to be involved in."
On the style of play, he added: "I've been really impressed. I've managed to watch two of the games against Bournemouth and Brentford on the opening day and the style of play has been incredible. I think all the players have got behind it and you can really see them coming together."
Fast and direct, a hard worker for the team and someone who likes to 'excite the fans', Brennan is buzzing to get going in our colours which only increased following a glowing review of the Club from fellow Welshman Ben Davies.
Capped 20 times by Wales, the promising forward has become a regular for his country and featured in the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar – his nation's first since 1958. Whilst on international duty, the 22-year-old also played alongside Spurs legend Gareth Bale – Wales' most-capped player and record goalscorer who spent seven successful years in N17 – a player who Brennan takes inspiration from and hopes to follow in the footsteps of in Lilywhite.
"I spoke to Ben who said unbelievable things about the Club and was really positive with me," he explained. "Everyone I’ve spoken to feels like it's the right time to join the Club because it's on a forward trajectory so I'm really excited to come here now."
When questioned about whether he takes inspiration from Bale’s career, he added: "Having the pleasure of playing with him for a couple of years at Wales and watching the way he operates and takes care of himself as well it's been really impressive, so I try and take whatever I can from his career. Especially at Spurs as well, he was a really good player here and I'm hoping I can have the same kind of career at this club."
