Hibs confirm Emmanuel Johnson signing as Ian Gordon hails Charleston Battery link

Hibs have confirmed the signing of Emmanuel Johnson on a three-and-a-half year deal from the Barça Residency Academy USA.

As revealed by the Evening News last week, the 18-year-old will initially feature on loan for partner club Charleston Battery for their 2022 season before moving to Edinburgh.

Johnson, known as EJ, is viewed by the club as an attack-minded defender, capable of playing as a right-back or right wing-back – or even centre-back.

Academy Director Steve Kean said: “For EJ, the thing that jumped up and hit us was his athleticism; he is an incredible athlete. Along with that he has very high technical skills.

Emmanuel Johnson has joined Hibs on a three-and-a-half year deal but will join up with Charleston Battery for the 2022 season

“We can see him playing in a number of different positions – having that adaptability, with his power, pace, and technical level, made him a real stand-out.

“I’m sure he will develop even further on his loan spell, and will be a massive addition to the development team in the future.”

Johnson has also spent time with Sacramento Republic and featured as a trialist for Hibs under-18s last year.

He has already linked up with the Battery and will feature in their USL Championship campaign to get further exposure to regular senior men’s football.

Hibs’ recruitment chief Ian Gordon added: “This is where our partnership with Charleston really comes to the fore. It allows us to recruit young, talented players for our development squad from different parts of the globe and provide them with a high level of coaching and a competitive games programme, as we sort out their work permits.

“This is just the start of our partnership with Charleston, and I look forward to seeing it flourish.”

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