Roy Hodgson casts doubt on Glen Johnson's future

Y_Shun SG

• 'He's not performed to the level I'd expect of him'
• Inter, Spurs and Juventus linked with the defender

Glen Johnson has not performed to the standard of an England right-back, according to the Liverpool manager, Roy Hodgson. Photograph: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Glen Johnson's future at Liverpool is in serious doubt after Roy Hodgson delivered a damning assessment of his form this season and claimed he has performed nowhere near the level expected of an England international.

Johnson has been restricted to one start in Liverpool's past seven games by injury, and will again be absent at Stoke City this evening because of an adductor strain. Even before his fitness problems, however, the 26-year-old had jeopardised his first-team place with several woeful displays and Hodgson's public rebuke indicates Liverpool's new owners may be willing to listen to offers for the right-back in January. The manager said: "He's the England right-back and if he plays like that one would expect him to come back in. But then he'd have to play like the England right-back and up to now, to be quite frank, he's not performed – very often at least – to the level I'd expect of him.

"You would have to ask him the question: 'Do you think you're playing at top form and are you playing like the best right-back in the country for your club?' If he says yes obviously we will have to agree to differ and if he says no, then you'd have to ask the question: 'Why not?'"

It is believed Johnson has struggled to settle on Merseyside since his £18m transfer from Portsmouth in July 2009 and Hodgson's outspoken criticism suggests a possible problem between the player and the club's new manager. Tottenham Hotspur, Internazionale and Juventus have all been linked recently with the former West Ham United and Chelsea defender, whose cost to Liverpool may be considered by New England Sports Ventures should a bid for his services materialise.

The former manager Rafael Benítez has admitted he had paid a premium to sign an English right-back, although approximately half the £18m transfer fee was offset by monies Portsmouth owed Liverpool for Peter Crouch. Liverpool are understood to have given Johnson a four-year contract worth around £120,000 a week when his old club, Chelsea, entered the race for his signature last year.