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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=629 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3><DIV class=mxb><DIV class=sh>Johnson revels in second chance </DIV></DIV></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=416>
<DIV class=mvb><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=416 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=bottom><DIV class=mvb><SPAN class=byl>By Jonathan Stevenson </SPAN></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><DIV>
<DIV class=cap>Johnson's last Forest game was a 3-0 FA Cup loss at Chester last year</DIV></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
On 1 July 2006, David Johnson reported for training with his Nottingham Forest team-mates, desperate to put his year-long injury misery behind him.
Just 74 days later, shortly after his 30th birthday, the former Jamaican international (?) striker announced his retirement from the game.
Chronic back problems left Johnson with no alternative but to hang up his boots and put an end to a career that had started 12 years before as an apprentice at Manchester United.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=208 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=5>
</TD><TD class=sibtbg><DIV class=miiib><DIV class=arr>Read Fergie's praise for Johnson </DIV></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Johnson, a man so popular he even once drew praise from Sir Alex Ferguson, tells BBC Sport how he came to the decision to quit and what the future might hold.
<DIV class=ch1>THE INJURY NIGHTMARE</DIV>
I had a back operation and I was only meant to be out for a couple of months, but the reaction afterwards was not as good as they had hoped for.
We let it go on and go on and I tried a bit of running, but it just never ever seemed to improve.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=208 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=5></TD><TD class=sibtbgf><DIV class=sihf>JOHNSON FACTFILE </DIV><DIV class=mva><DIV class=bull>Born: Kingston, Jamaica, 15 August 1976</DIV><DIV class=bull>Nicknames: Johnno, DJ</DIV><DIV class=bull>Clubs: Man Utd, Bury, Ipswich, Forest, Sheff Wed (loan), Burnley (loan), Sheff Utd (loan)</DIV><DIV class=bull>Big deal: £3m from Ipswich to Forest in 2001</DIV><DIV class=bull>International: Five caps and one goal for Jamaica</DIV></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
I had another scan and a few other nerve blocks and more injections to numb the pain, but that went on for a year when I was only supposed to have two months not playing.
So when I got back in the summer I was raring to go and I thought I had a great chance of getting fully fit.
I was in a race with Scott Dobie to see who could get fit first and we were both doing really well, I was just ahead of him and thought I'd be 100% by Septemer.
I did eight weeks training and the lads came back on 1 July for pre-season. I joined in for a couple of days but I just couldn't reach that standard of fitness.
I tried to train one day and then had to have four days rest and I couldn't get fit because I was in agony. If you can't train you can't play, I knew what the consequences were. <IMG height=
<DIV class=mvb><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=416 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=bottom><DIV class=mvb><SPAN class=byl>By Jonathan Stevenson </SPAN></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
</DIV>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><DIV>
<DIV class=cap>Johnson's last Forest game was a 3-0 FA Cup loss at Chester last year</DIV></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>On 1 July 2006, David Johnson reported for training with his Nottingham Forest team-mates, desperate to put his year-long injury misery behind him.
Just 74 days later, shortly after his 30th birthday, the former Jamaican international (?) striker announced his retirement from the game.
Chronic back problems left Johnson with no alternative but to hang up his boots and put an end to a career that had started 12 years before as an apprentice at Manchester United.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=208 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=5>
</TD><TD class=sibtbg><DIV class=miiib><DIV class=arr>Read Fergie's praise for Johnson </DIV></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Johnson, a man so popular he even once drew praise from Sir Alex Ferguson, tells BBC Sport how he came to the decision to quit and what the future might hold.
<DIV class=ch1>THE INJURY NIGHTMARE</DIV>
I had a back operation and I was only meant to be out for a couple of months, but the reaction afterwards was not as good as they had hoped for. We let it go on and go on and I tried a bit of running, but it just never ever seemed to improve.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=208 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=5>
</TD><TD class=sibtbgf><DIV class=sihf>JOHNSON FACTFILE </DIV><DIV class=mva><DIV class=bull>Born: Kingston, Jamaica, 15 August 1976</DIV><DIV class=bull>Nicknames: Johnno, DJ</DIV><DIV class=bull>Clubs: Man Utd, Bury, Ipswich, Forest, Sheff Wed (loan), Burnley (loan), Sheff Utd (loan)</DIV><DIV class=bull>Big deal: £3m from Ipswich to Forest in 2001</DIV><DIV class=bull>International: Five caps and one goal for Jamaica</DIV></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>I had another scan and a few other nerve blocks and more injections to numb the pain, but that went on for a year when I was only supposed to have two months not playing.
So when I got back in the summer I was raring to go and I thought I had a great chance of getting fully fit.
I was in a race with Scott Dobie to see who could get fit first and we were both doing really well, I was just ahead of him and thought I'd be 100% by Septemer.
I did eight weeks training and the lads came back on 1 July for pre-season. I joined in for a couple of days but I just couldn't reach that standard of fitness.
I tried to train one day and then had to have four days rest and I couldn't get fit because I was in agony. If you can't train you can't play, I knew what the consequences were. <IMG height=
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