| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Marvin Nicholas Johnson[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1990-12-01)1 December 1990 (age 34)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Birmingham, England[3] | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Winger,wing-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Port Vale | ||
| Number | 28 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Solihull Moors | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2009–2010 | Solihull Moors[a] | 5 | (0) |
| 2010 | →Coleshill Town (loan) | ||
| 2010–2012 | Romulus | ||
| 2012–2015 | Kidderminster Harriers | 108 | (17) |
| 2014 | →Hednesford Town (loan) | 6 | (2) |
| 2015–2016 | Motherwell | 53 | (6) |
| 2016–2017 | Oxford United | 41 | (3) |
| 2017–2021 | Middlesbrough | 97 | (5) |
| 2018–2019 | →Sheffield United (loan) | 11 | (0) |
| 2021–2025 | Sheffield Wednesday | 150 | (9) |
| 2025– | Port Vale | 4 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2012 | England C | 1 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 16:57, 15 November 2025 (UTC) | |||
Marvin Nicholas Johnson (born 1 December 1990) is an English professionalfootballer who plays as awinger orwing-back forEFL League One clubPort Vale.
Johnson started his career innon-League football, playing forSolihull Moors,Coleshill Town (on loan),Romulus,Kidderminster Harriers, andHednesford Town (on loan). He was capped byEngland C in 2012. He scored 20 goals in 120 games across all competitions for Kidderminster to win himself a move toScottish Premiership clubMotherwell in February 2015. He was sold on toOxford United in August 2016 for what was reported to be aclub record fee of around £650,000. He stayed with the club for 12 months and played for Oxford in their defeat in the2017 EFL Trophy final. He was sold toMiddlesbrough for a fee in the region of £2.5 million. He spent the 2018–19 season on loan atSheffield United, who won promotion out of theChampionship in second place. He played 103 games for Middlesbrough, of which 97 were Championship appearances, and was released after a four-year stay. He joinedSheffield Wednesday in August 2021 and was promoted out ofLeague One through theplay-offs in2023. In total, he played 169 games in four years at the club. He signed with Port Vale in October 2025.
Johnson never played academy football and instead began his career withSolihull Moors in theConference North.[7] He spent a loan spell atColeshill Town,[3] where he scored a hat-trick againstMalvern Town.[8] While a Solihull Moors player he won theFA County Youth Cup in May 2009 representingBirmingham FA.[9] He worked as a shop assistant and took his coaching badges during his time atDamson Park.[10] In March 2010, he was linked with a transfer toRushall Olympic,[11] but after he was released by Moors during the 2010 close season he signed forRomulus of theNorthern Premier League First Division South,[5][12] and was their top scorer in the2011–12 season.[13][14] While playing for Romulus, Johnson had a five-day trial atChampionship clubBurnley in December 2011.[15]
Johnson signed an 18-month contract withConference Premier clubKidderminster Harriers in February 2012.[16] He featured 12 times in the second half of the2011–12 campaign.[4] He was capped for theEngland C team in a 4–0 defeat to Russia U23 in anInternational Challenge Trophy game on 5 June 2012.[17][18] He fractured his toe in December 2012, which managerSteve Burr said would take six weeks to recover from.[19] In January 2013, he received interest fromFootball League clubs, includingCrewe Alexandra,Colchester United andNorthampton Town.[20] He signed a new one-year contract after enjoying a successful2012–13 campaign, though Kidderminster missed out on automatic promotion by two points.[21] He played in the play-off semi-final defeat toWrexham.[22]
He had a loan spell withHednesford Town at the end of the2013–14 season,[23] playing in the Conference North play-off semi-final defeat toAltrincham.[24] Johnson signed a new one-year contract with the Harriers after returning fromKeys Park toAggborough in June 2014.[25] He scored ten goals from the wing in the first half of the2014–15 season,[4] making him the club's top-scorer.[26] He won the club's November Player of the Month award.[27] Upon Johnson's departure from the club, Harriers manager Gary Whild said that Johnson had worked hard for the move.[28]
On 3 February 2015, Johnson was one of four players to sign forScottish Premiership clubMotherwell on transfer deadline day.[29] The fee was reported to be in the region of £50,000.[30] Before signing with Motherwell he had been in advanced talks with Football League clubYeovil Town.[31] At the end of the2014–15 season, with Motherwell facing potential relegation from the Scottish Premiership, Johnson featured in both legs of their play-off tie againstRangers, who had finished in third place in theChampionship. After helping them to a 3–1 win in the first leg atIbrox,[32] Johnson scored Motherwell's first goal in a 3–0 victory in the second leg atFir Park[33] that ensured their Premiership survival. He agreed to a contract extension the following month to keep him at the club until 2018, saying that he "really believed" in managerIan Baraclough.[34][35]
He scored six goals from 42 appearances in the2015–16 campaign.[36] A popular player, he was nicknamed "Magic Marv" by supporters and attracted interest from clubs back in England.[37] ManagerMark McGhee said that "Marvin has got to deal with the speculation and we've got to deal with it too".[30] Johnson handed in a transfer request in August 2016.[38][39] Motherwell rejected a £300,000 bid fromOxford United, and McGhee stated that he would be "amazed" if they could afford him and that Johnson should be aiming for a higher ranked club anyway.[40][41] Reports of a £500,000 bid fromBrighton & Hove Albion were denied as rumours.[42]
On 31 August 2016, transfer deadline day, Johnson signed for Oxford United ofLeague One for an undisclosed sum[43] which according to theOxford Mail is believed to be aclub record fee, in the region of £650,000.[44] On 23 November, the same week his second child was born, he scored his first goal for the club, the only goal in a 1–0 League One victory overGillingham at theKassam Stadium.[45] He was named the club's Player of the Month for January after having scored three goals.[46] He played in thefinal of theEFL Trophy atWembley Stadium, which ended in a 2–1 defeat toCoventry City.[47] In total, he scored six goals in 52 appearances throughout the2016–17 season.[48]
ManagerMichael Appleton described him as having "athleticism and speed", a "thunderbolt shot", and "pace that scares the life out of people", sumising that he would "end up being a top-class wide player".[30][49] Speaking in August 2017, new managerPep Clotet stated that Johnson needed to improve his consistency if he wanted to play at a higher level.[50] Club owner Darryl Eales further added that Johnson was "not for sale" amidst speculation surrounding the player's absence from matchday squads due to what was reported to be a tight hamstring.[51][52]
After prolonged speculation about his Oxford future, during which he was linked withHull City andBirmingham City, Johnson signed a three-year contract withMiddlesbrough on deadline day, 31 August 2017.[53] The undisclosed transfer deal was described by Oxford chairman Darryl Eales as "highly attractive", and believed to be in the region of £2.5 million.[54] Oxford enquired to bring him back to the club on loan in January 2018 after new Boro managerTony Pulis told him he had no future at theRiverside Stadium.[55] Oxford's offer was declined.[56] Johnson said of Pulis that he was "not his type of player".[57] He played 17 Championship games in the2017–18 campaign without featuring after 13 January.[58]
Johnson was linked with a move to his hometown club Birmingham City in the summer transfer window, where former Middlesbrough bossGarry Monk was now managing.[59] He had impressed Monk both on the pitch and in the dressing room before Monk had been sacked.[60] Johnson was also linked to Hull City once again.[61] On 31 August 2018, Johnson moved on loan to Championship rivalsSheffield United for the2018–19 season.[62] ManagerChris Wilder stated that he "gives us plenty of options, quick, left-footed and can play in a number of positions".[63] Wilder played him as a wing-back,[64] though preferred to playEnda Stevens.[65] Johnson played 12 games atBramall Lane, helping Sheffield United to secure promotion into thePremier League.[66][67]
Johnson found himself back in the Middlesbrough first team following the departure of Pulis, and impressed during pre-season.[68] He scored the only goal of the game againstReading on 14 September 2019.[69] On 24 November, Johnson was sent off just before half-time following a reckless slide on Hull City'sEric Lichaj, leaving his teammates a man down and unable to hold on to their two-goal lead.[70] ManagerJonathan Woodgate condemned him for showing a lack of discipline,[71] saying it cost the team the victory.[72] Johnson struggled to regain his spot in thefirst XI following the incident, withHayden Coulson being preffered at left wing-back.[73] His contract expired at the end of the2019–20 season, but he signed a short-term extension given the extended season in light of the coronavirus.[74] He signed a new one-year contract on reduced terms with the club in August 2020,[75] with managerNeil Warnock commenting that he had been pleased with the player thus far and hoped he could improve him further.[76][77]
Further contract talks took place in January 2021.[78] However, he then dropped down the pecking order,[79] though Warnock insisted that he remained an important player despite preferring new signingsYannick Bolasie andNeeskens Kebano, as well as left wing-backMarc Bola.[80] On 28 May 2021, it was announced that he would leave Middlesbrough at the end of the season, following the expiry of his contract.[81] He had featured 43 times in all competitions throughout the2020–21 campaign, scoring four goals and providing six assists.[82]
On 5 August 2021, Johnson joined recently-relegated League One clubSheffield Wednesday.[83][84] He scored his first goal for the club in anEFL Trophy tie againstNewcastle United U21s on 31 August.[85] He ended the2021–22 campaign with three goals in 44 games,[86] and the club exercised an option to retain him for another season.[87] He featured 51 times in the2022–23 season, scoring another three goals.[88] He played in what was dubbed the "Miracle of Hillsborough", winning a penalty for the first of a four-goal comeback overPeterborough United in the play-off semi-finals.[89] He then played in theplay-off final win overBarnsley that secured the club promotion back to the Championship.[90] Johnson was offered a new contract to stay at the club,[91] which was confirmed on 1 July.[92]
He was banished from the first-team squad by new managerXisco Muñoz for unexplained reasons and ended up training on his own inDubai.[93] Johnson established himself under Xisco's successor,Danny Röhl, and provided four assists and four goals in 29 Championship games in the remainder of the2023–24 season.[94] On 29 December, he was named on the EFL Team of the Week after scoring the only goal of the game atPreston North End.[95] He won the December PFA Fans' Player of the Month award.[96][97]Ipswich Town entered talks to sign Johnson in January,[98] having first attempted to sign the player the previous summer.[99] He remained in Sheffield, however, and was again named on the EFL Team of the Week for his performance in a 2–0 win over Birmingham City atHillsborough on 9 February.[100]
On 17 May 2024, Wednesday exercised their option to keep Johnson for another year.[101] Fresh competition did arrive, though, in the form ofMax Lowe,[102] who ended up being used more at left centre-back.[103] Former playerLee Bullen described Johnson as "undroppable" in November.[104] After being released from his contract following the end of the2024–25 season,[105] Johnson went on to criticise ownerDejphon Chansiri for late payment of wages.[106] Johnson made 40 direct goal contributions in 169 appearances for Sheffield Wednesday and was lauded as one of the club's best free agent signings in the club's recent history.[93]
On 13 October 2025, Johnson signed a short-term contract for recently-promoted League One clubPort Vale to reunite with his former Sheffield Wednesday managerDarren Moore.[107] The club had sustained a series of injuries in the wing-back position at the start of the2025–26 season.[108]
Johnson can play either as a left-sidedwinger or an attack-mindedwing-back, and boasts goodcrossing ability.[109] He had a lot of pace as a younger player,[110] being dubbed a "quick-footed pace merchant" by Kidderminster Harriers.[111]
Johnson is of Jamaican descent through his paternal grandfather.[112] As of November 2016, Johnson had two children, a boy and a girl.[113]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Solihull Moors[a] | 2008–09[114] | Conference North | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2009–10[115] | Conference North | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Total | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||
| Kidderminster Harriers | 2011–12[4] | Conference Premier | 12 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13[4] | Conference Premier | 39 | 6 | 2 | 1 | — | 3[b] | 0 | 44 | 7 | ||
| 2013–14[116] | Conference Premier | 25 | 2 | 4 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 29 | 3 | ||
| 2014–15[4] | Conference Premier | 32 | 9 | 1 | 0 | — | 2[c] | 1 | 35 | 10 | ||
| Total | 108 | 17 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 120 | 20 | ||
| Hednesford Town (loan) | 2013–14[4] | Conference North | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 2[d] | 0 | 8 | 2 | |
| Motherwell | 2014–15[117] | Scottish Premiership | 11 | 0 | — | — | 2[e] | 1 | 13 | 1 | ||
| 2015–16[36] | Scottish Premiership | 38 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 42 | 6 | ||
| 2016–17[48] | Scottish Premiership | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | — | 9 | 4 | ||
| Total | 53 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 64 | 11 | ||
| Oxford United | 2016–17[48] | League One | 39 | 3 | 6 | 0 | — | 7[f] | 3 | 52 | 6 | |
| 2017–18[58] | League One | 2 | 0 | — | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | ||
| Total | 41 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 55 | 7 | ||
| Middlesbrough | 2017–18[58] | Championship | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 |
| 2018–19[66] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | ||
| 2019–20[118] | Championship | 38 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 40 | 1 | ||
| 2020–21[119] | Championship | 42 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 43 | 4 | ||
| Total | 97 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 103 | 7 | ||
| Middlesbrough U21 | 2017–18[58] | — | — | — | 1[f] | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Sheffield United (loan) | 2018–19[66] | Championship | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 12 | 0 | ||
| Sheffield Wednesday | 2021–22[86] | League One | 39 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 4[g] | 1 | 44 | 3 | |
| 2022–23[88] | League One | 41 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4[h] | 0 | 51 | 3 | |
| 2023–24[120] | Championship | 29 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 30 | 4 | ||
| 2024–25[121] | Championship | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 44 | 0 | ||
| Total | 150 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 169 | 10 | ||
| Port Vale | 2025–26[122] | League One | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| Career total | 475 | 42 | 26 | 3 | 16 | 6 | 25 | 6 | 542 | 57 | ||
Oxford United
Sheffield United
Sheffield Wednesday
Not that the Roms – who have recruited young hotshot Marvin Johnson to bolster their attack – will fear anyone.