Villa Park man smiles through gritted teeth as he sings the praises of his former Boro team-mate.
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Aston Villa’s Stewart Downing is pleased Adam Johnson is performing for England and is not jealous of his success.
The pair were team-mates at Middlesbroughnot so long ago and Downing frequently kept Johnson out of the club’s starting XI.
Downing has since transferred to Villa and Johnson has joined Premier League rivals Manchester City, a club where he has blossomed.
Johnson has jumped above Downing in the England pecking order and demonstrated his quality with goals against Bulgaria and Switzerland.
Downing is pleased with Johnson’s success on the pitch and aims to join him in the England squad rather than taking his place.
“For Adam Johnson, it’s been very good,” said Downing. “He’s obviously a good player and he just needed the chance.
“He thought he didn’t get that at Middlesbrough. There was not only me in the team, there were others fighting for a place.
“But he was only a young lad then and now he’s two years older, a little more experienced and it’s turned into a really good move for him.
“He’s a very good player and, for England, he has started really well. It doesn’t give me any more incentive.” (Sky Sports)
In many ways Stewart Downing has never quite made it. Some would argue that the former Middlesbrough man was ridiculously overrated and that Adam Johnson possesses far more natural talent than the Aston Villa man, that may be a tad harsh but has a ring of truth about it.
For season after season at the Riverside Downing was linked with a move to some pretty big clubs but nothing materialised and this could be for a number of reasons but must also show that no real definite interest existed, for if it did then surely he would have moved on far sooner.
Johnson on the other hand was plucked from the Championship by Manchester City aged at 22, three years earlier than his former Boro teammate. The Sunderland born winger has been an instant success at club and national level and appear to have the upper hand over Downing.