Sunderland and England man outlines first-team ambitions under Régis Le Bris after loan moves

Sunderland defender Zak Johnson has reflected on last season's loans at Hartlepool United and Dundalk, adding that he wants to play for the Black Cats’ first team.

The 19-year-old joined Dundalk in Ireland during 2023-24 and has impressed at the club. The centre-back recently helped Dundalk to an eighth-consecutive home clean sheet, a club record.

After making his debut in the 0-0 draw with Waterford last March, the Sunderland defender has become an integral part of the back four and has featured in every game of the record-breaking run. 

Johnson was also named the 1903 Dundalk FC Supporters Club Player of the Month while and is among six players nominated for the Soccer Writers of Ireland Player of the Month award for May ahead of his return to Sunderland this summer.

“I found myself in the squad after the sixth game and just I haven't looked back,” Johnson reflected. “It's been amazing, the kind of support that I've got from the members of staff, the players around me and the fans, it's just been incredible and I'm really enjoying it so far. Key messages would be just to try and play as many games as possible.”

“I know obviously it's very basic and it can be easily said or just play as many games as possible but that really is what it's come down to and trying to be just as consistent as you can be. Bringing the best version of yourself, I think that's the most important thing,” Johnson added when asked why the loan move had been so successful.

“For me, the message that I'm giving in my head is I'm not a 19-year-old anymore, I need to mature and I need to forget about my age almost. So being 19 has nothing to do with the fact that I'm playing in first team football, I need to show that no matter what age I am, I can be reliable, I can be trustworthy and I can be obviously a player for the manager that he can have trust in.

“I won the March and April supporters' Player of the Month and then I got nominated for the league Player of the Month in May and these things are just kind of what I've believed I can do with myself. I feel like that's the most important thing.”

The England youth international was involved in pre-season under Tony Mowbray last summer and played for the first team in the Carabao Cup against Crewe Alexandra. Before his stint at Dundalk, Johnson was loaned out to Hartlepool United in the National League, where he made 11 appearances in the league. Johnson, however, noe hoped to use his experiences to push for a place in Sunderland’s first team under new head coach Régis Le Bris.

“I feel like when I went to Hartlepool, if I'm being truthfully honest with myself, I feel like I didn't give the best version of myself,” Johnson said. “I struggled at times to adapt to the first team environment and that men's game but coming here I just feel like being away from my family and stuff like that, just having that belief that you need to do this for yourself and if you want to play for Sunderland’s first team, you need to show to everybody here that you're kind of better and I feel like that's what I've taken into my game,” he concluded.