The goalkeeper has spent this season on loan with Aston Villa.
Speaking exclusively to 888sport, ex-Aston Villa ace Shay Given urged his former club to tie Sam Johnstone down to a permanent deal this summer.
The 25-year-old originally joined the Villans on loan from Manchester United in January 2017, before moving to Villa Park on a season long loan last summer, and he has really impressed for Steve Bruce’s side.
Johnstone has made 67 appearances for Villa, keeping 28 clean sheets, and he is at the age now for a goalkeeper where he will soon be entering his prime years.
Given, who made 53 appearances for Aston Villa, urged his former club to sign the stopper on a permanent basis this summer, if United don’t have long-term plans for him, as quoted by the Express & Star:
“He’s probably one of their players of the season, and it’s important that Villa try to tie him down. I don’t know what the situation is at Man United, but Sam Johnstone will have the taste now for first team football and at a big club like Aston Villa. He won’t want to go back to being No.2 or No.3 at United. Although Manchester United is a great club, if you don’t play regularly it is very disheartening and especially after such a great season he’s had at Villa.”
The Villans have a Championship play-off semi-final against Middlesbrough to look forward to on Saturday, and if they are to have any chance whatsoever of emerging victorious against Tony Pulis’ side, Johnstone will surely have to be at his very best over the course of the two legs.
Read the full 888sport interview with Shay Given, including his story about Fabian Delph’s prankster antics and the revenge that followed.
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