The irony will be lost on no one.
Sam Johnstone, according to reports, turned down a move to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer due to concerns about a lack of first-team opportunities under Antonio Conte; a decision no doubt made with one eye firmly fixed on the Qatar World Cup.
Six months on, the chances of him securing a seat on Gareth Southgate’s plan are pretty much non-existent these days. Johnstone has not played a single league game for the club he joined instead of Spurs upon the expiry of his West Brom contract in June.
If the former Baggies goalkeeper felt that first-team football would be easier to come by at Crystal Palace, then he didn’t account for Vincente Guiata’s enduring popularity at Selhurst Park.
“Basically what happened was, Sam Johnstone was very far down the line in terms of joining. And, from what I understand, he had certain hopes about a guarantee of game time. Tottenham couldn’t give him that,” reporter Dean Jones tells Give Me Sport.
“He basically had reservations.”
Sam Johnstone chose Crystal Palace over Tottenham Hotspur
Would Johnstone have turned down Crystal Palace too, if he knew that he’d be playing a back-seat role behind Guaita at Selhurst Park? Perhaps he thought that, with Hugo Lloris firmly established as Antonio Conte’s first choice a few miles down the road in North London, Guaita would be easier to dislodge than the France captain.
As pointed out by The Athletic, however, the former Valencia glovesman is not only one of the first names on Patrick Vieira’s team sheet, he is also a key cog in the Frenchman’s tactical blueprint.
His 76 per cent pass completion rate, per FBREF, is bettered by only six goalkeepers in the Premier League this season. The veteran Spaniard has made huge strides with regards to his distribution under Vieira. During his final season with Roy Hodgson, for instance, Guiata’s pass completion rate was lower than 50 per cent.
Johnstone, meanwhile, is an excellent shot-stopper but distribution is not his strong point.
“What’s this about Sam Johnstone going to Palace, as another goalkeeper?” former Palace owner Simon Jordan asked when hearing that the three-time England international could be heading to Selhurst Park (talkSPORT).
“They’ve already got Guiata, they’ve already got Jack Butland. Why would they be signing Sam Johnstone as well?”
That may be a question the man himself is asking, after three months spent warming the bench.
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