Andy Johnson is magic. He wears a magic hat. And when he wins the match ball, he says I am having that.
The striker with the magic hat is back but it remains to be seen if he still has it with him. He joins a club that is starting to look more like an old school reunion that one that is looking to push on in the Premier League.
As a young striker, AJ began his career at Luton Town in their youth academy but his diminutive stature suggested that he would struggle to make it in the professional game. He was picked up by Birmingham City where he worked his way through the youth team to break into the first team. He infamously missed the crucial penalty in the 2001 League Cup Final against Liverpool.
The career of AJ so far has seen him play for Birmingham City, Crystal Palace, Everton, Fulham and Queens Park Rangers. He has made around 390 club appearances in total scoring around 114 goals along the way. He has also represented England eight times without scoring a goal.
After promotion to the Premier League, Birmingham City decided to use Johnson as a makeweight in the deal to take Clinton Morrison to St Andrews from Palace in 2002.
The loss of Morrison was far greater than gaining Johnson in the eyes of Palace fans so they did not expect an awful lot from him. The follicly challenged striker soon showed them what they can expect with a hat-trick against rivals Brighton and then another in the following game at Walsall.
Regardless, the then manager Trevor Francis preferred a larger more intimidating strike force of Dele Adebola and Ade Akinbiyi and it took until the appointment of Iain Dowie for Johnson to secure a starting role. He ended up being a key player in the promotion season of 2004/05.
After one season in the top flight for Palace it was only a matter of time that Johnson would move on as seasons passed without a return. He handed in a transfer request but was convinced to sign a new deal by then chairman Simon Jordan. By staying he formed a formidable partnership with the returning Clinton Morrison which was ironic considering the transfer deal that involved them both.
Johnson was voted by fans into the Centenary XI, the only player named who was at the club at the time.
Poor quality clip admittedly but you get the idea
Merseyside club Everton signed Johnson for £8.6 million in May 2006 and he later played for Fulham and Queens Park Rangers but in recent years suffered from injury.
At 33 years of age, the Bedford born striker will no doubt be looking forward to regaining full fitness and showing what he can offer the current Palace side. Who is to say that he cannot show glimpses of what he managed for the red and blue in his original stint at the club.
There is a habit of returning heroes at Selhurst and there has been success with the likes of Clinton Morrison and Dougie Freedman. However, to do that AJ will need every bit of his magic from his hat as he attempts to turn back the clock.
