Ben Johnson reacts when asked if he considered leaving Ipswich Town | OneFootball

Ben Johnson has revealed whether he considered leaving Portman Road this season after a lack of game-time since arriving.

Ipswich Town defender Ben Johnson has revealed he didn’t consider leaving the club last summer, despite a lack of game-time in the top-flight.

Johnson was brought over to Suffolk from West Ham United in the summer of 2024, aiming to be part of an Ipswich team that survived in the Premier League.

It was originally viewed as a shrewd signing given his top-flight experience, versatility and holding a UEFA Conference League winners’ medal from his lengthy stint with the Hammers, but his time at the club hasn’t panned out the way anyone would have wanted.

In the big time, Johnson made just 14 appearances, but those were out of his natural position on the right-wing, and after suffering relegation down to the Championship, he hasn’t been favoured under McKenna in that division either, with the likes of Ashley Young and Darnell Furlong adding extra competition.

With a lack of minutes, Johnson would have naturally been expected to move on from Portman Road and seek a fresh opportunity, but he has remained at Ipswich throughout this season, although it doesn’t look to have been vindicated given he has made just nine appearances in the second-tier all term.

Now, Johnson has revealed in an interview with the East Anglian Daily Times about his struggles for minutes, and whether he ever considered leaving the club last summer.

Ben Johnson didn’t consider leaving Ipswich Town last summer

In an interview with the East Anglian Daily Times, Ipswich Town defender Ben Johnson revealed he didn’t once consider leaving the club during the last summer transfer window and is solely focused on helping the Tractor Boys make an instant return to the Premier League.

When asked whether he considered an exit, Johnson replied: “Not at all. I feel that being at Ipswich, I really enjoy it. Off the back of a relegation, we’ve still held on to really good players.

“This could be the season that we get promoted, and it’s what we want to do, we’re working so hard towards it as much as we can, and it’s something I want to be a part of.

“I’ve been blessed enough to win things in my career and if I could get promoted with Ipswich at such a historic club, I’d definitely look back on that with a lot of joy and pride.

“I came back to pre-season wanting to stay and wanting to get Ipswich promoted back to the Premier League.”

Johnson also spoke about his time on the sidelines this season after falling behind Darnell Furlong in the pecking order for his favoured right-back spot.

Johnson added: “It’s part of football, really.

"There’s going to be some seasons where you play regularly, and some seasons where you don’t. That’s probably the state of the season and how the team’s doing, there’s different variables that come into play.

“It’s been a season where I’ve had to be patient, and I’ve not played as much as I would like, but I believe that if I come in to play I’ll do a good job and I want to do that if I get the chance to play.

“You see that at every team. I’m not going to be the first player or the last player to go through a spell where you don’t play, and then you have a resurgence, and you become a mainstay in the team.

“Christian's (Walton) done that brilliantly, he’s had to be extremely patient with injuries in past seasons. He’s come in, taken his opportunity and done really well.

“You can see why it’s evident that he is one of the best keepers in the league. If I get my chance, I want to take it. I know I can, and if I get the chance to play, I’m going to look forward to it.”

Ipswich Town will be thankful for Ben Johnson’s loyalty

After a season of struggle from both a personal and professional point of view, it would have been very easy for Ben Johnson to throw in the towel and walk away from Ipswich after spending so much time on the substitutes' bench.

But the defender has the right attitude of sticking by the club and wanting to help it succeed, even though he hasn’t played as big of a part as he would have liked so far in the Championship.

He’s continuing to bide his time though, holding optimism that he will be able to come into the team eventually and be an influential asset, and that is the type of character Kieran McKenna needs in his squad if they are to make a swift return back to the promised land.

It’s reassuring to know that Ipswich have players in their ranks like Johnson should injuries crop up due to the relentless nature of the second-tier scheduling, with the Tractor Boys able to rely on an experienced and versatile head should an injury occur to one of their first-team assets in the backline.

That kind of depth is crucial to Ipswich maintaining their promotion charge up until May, and Johnson will be hopeful he can step back in and remind the Tractor Boys faithful of his qualities.