Over the years, the non-league game has been the perfect breeding ground for young players looking to establish a career in professional football after not making it at clubs higher up in the football pyramid.
However, some players who get their big break in non-league football have never been associated with a football academy. One such player is Brayden Johnson, who only joined his first club in the summer of 2024.
Who is Brayden Johnson?
Johnson is an 18-year-old midfielder who joined Championship Middlesbrough from National League South team Eastbourne in the January transfer window. It’s an incredible story, from not having a club to joining a club in the second tier in just over six months.
The youngster impressed with Eastbourne in the sixth tier and earned the move after just 30 appearances for the non-league outfit. Boro was not the only league club interested in the youngster. Reportedly, Premier League duo West Ham and Ipswich Town, as well as Championship outfit QPR, all registered an interest in Johnson before he joined Boro in January.
The defensive midfielder certainly made a big impression in those limited appearances at Eastbourne. He became a key player, not only producing dynamic displays but scoring a goal and also producing two assists for his teammates.
Has a good chance to impress at Middlesbrough
Johnson initially joined the club’s under-21 squad and has already played 450 minutes in five Premier League 2 appearances.
The fact that the Londoner joined the under-21s is no barometer of his ability, though. His presence in the under-21s is more a reflection of his age, as he is not 19 until the summer.
No doubt, if he impresses for the under-21s, he will be integrated into the first-team squad at some point. The north east club has had a history of producing young players who have either made it at the club or moved on and impressed elsewhere.
@ebfc_official Thank You Brayden ❤️ Smash it lad 🙌🥺 #football #nonleague #middlesbrough #championship #signing ♬ Unwritten – Natasha Bedingfield
It would also have been unfair to ask the youngster to go from the sixth tier of English football straight into one of the toughest leagues in Europe, the Championship.
Talking about Johnson joining the club, Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick said: “It’s fantastic for him. I met with him and his family yesterday for the first time, and you could see how delighted he was to be here. It’s a big step for him and a fantastic opportunity.
“As a club, we look at recruitment at different levels and different age groups. Sometimes, it’s for the first team sometimes, it’s more about the long-term and development. It’s an important structure to keep that evolving all the way through and bringing young talent to the club who we think have good potential.
“That’s what we’re always looking out for. In Brayden he’s another one who we think we can offer a good opportunity to if he keeps doing the right things and it comes their way. It’s great to have him here.”
Boro has been scouting the English capital for talent in recent years, as it is a hotbed of football talent. Former player Isaiah Jones was a good example of the club picking up a younger player from the non-league game.
Jones was plying his trade at capital outfit Tooting & Mitcham before joining the north east club. The versatile star played close to 150 games for Boro before moving on to Luton Town in the January transfer window for an initial fee of £5m, plus add-ons.
Johnson is a shining example to many non-league stars
It feels like a fairytale: a young footballer who only joined a club six months before joining a club near the top of the English football pyramid. Now he is in the set-up of a Championship club, the young midfielder has a real chance of making it at the top level of the game. Johnson has already shown his exceptional potential at Eastbourne.
Brayden Johnson has completed a move to Boro from National League South club Eastbourne Borough 🤝
The midfielder will link up with Mark Tinkler’s Under-21s side.
— Middlesbrough FC (@Boro) January 23, 2025
The modern age of media has now made it far easier for players to be spotted. The young midfielder is proof that if you work hard enough and, of course, have talent, then no matter what level of football you are playing, it is possible to fulfil your dreams and become a professional footballer, even without any prior experience of academy football.