BACK TO ARCHIVE INDEX © All written site content is copyright ComeOnBoro.com 2004-2007, unless otherwise stated, and is not to be used without prior permission.	AJ'S PATIENCE PAYS OFF Andrew Johnson did not dare to dream what his international future held when he sat watching England's goals flying in against Greece. Johnson had been overlooked by new boss Steve McClaren and was still waiting for the season to start at his new club Everton. The striker sat at home on the sofa with his son as England's new era exploded with a 4-0 win against the European champions. Johnson, 25, said: "I was at home watching with my little boy and it was a great performance. To score four goals in the first game for the new manager is fantastic. "I was itching to be involved to be honest but I had to wait for my chance and I wanted to get settled in at Everton. "I wasn't sure I'd get the call. Dean Ashton was called up last time and there are some great strikers in the Premier League." Ashton broke his ankle while training with England ahead of the Greece game and Wayne Rooney's imminent suspension meant there was a space in the squad for another striker. Johnson made the place his own with a blistering start to his Everton career. He scored against Watford on the opening day of the season, performed well in front of McClaren in a 1-1 draw at Blackburn and found the net again last weekend at Tottenham. It was enough to merit a phone call from McClaren. Johnson was back in the fold and looked razor-sharp in England's first training session of the week. The Everton striker said: "I'm just happy to be amongst the squad and looking to take my opportunity. "Steve McClaren has been brilliant with me. He just said well done on getting back into the squad and told me to enjoy training. "It's a great bonus to be here. It's a huge lift and I'm just looking to give it my best shot. "It's nice when you hear the manager throw compliments at you and to read them but I have to keep doing what I'm doing. "It all comes down to working hard on the training field, that's where your bread and butter is. "It's important to stay behind and work on your game, and playing with better players also helps. "It's always good to get off to a great start and, as a striker, score a few goals. "To bring that into training with England was a good feeling." Johnson was on standby for the World Cup squad but he was mainly ignored by Sven-Goran Eriksson as he spent last season in the Championship with Crystal Palace. But his big-money move to Everton and his return to the Premiership have put him firmly back in the spotlight. Johnson said: "Everton is a massive club and playing in front of 40,000 fans every week is brilliant. "The fans are so passionate and historically they are one of the biggest clubs in English football, it was a massive part of my decision. "David Moyes has put massive trust in me with the fee Everton paid for me. I'm just looking to repay that. "He has seen me play in the last three or four years and wants me to carry on doing what I did for Palace. "We had a great result at Blackburn and the biggest result of the season so far was to beat Tottenham last week after going down to 10 men in the first half-hour." Johnson is looking to win his third England cap against Andorra and make his first competitive appearance for his country. His two caps have come in friendlies against Holland and the United States but his red-hot form could earn him a starting place alongside Peter Crouch. Jermain Defoe and Darren Bent are the other strikers in McClaren's squad. By Bettingzone.co.uk Used with permission. SEND THIS TO A FRIEND ENGLAND v ANDORRA & MACEDONIA MATCH PROGRAMME INDEX
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