Sam Johnstone - now retired

[Walmley_Villa]

Confirmed - signed for Ollbeyun - £6.5m

[Holte132]

Confirmed - signed for Ollbeyun - £6.5m

Agent Johnstone

[sirlordbaltimore]

Great signing for them. Lets hope they spend a shitload and go tits up like we have

[kieron]

What a bloody shame.

[saunders_heroes]

What a bloody shame.

Yep. Yet another kick in the teeth for Villa fans. Sell up, Xia.

[PeterWithesShin]

An above average shot stopper that's shit at kicking. I'd have liked to have kept him but he's basically Guzan before the confidence loss. The fact it will be season number 3 for him in the Championship rather than a top flight side signing says it all. It's not like we've missed out on a hybrid of Rimmer and Bosnich.

[cdbearsfan]

He improved a lot last season. If he continues to do so I wouldn't be amazed if he ends up playing for England.

I don't care as much about the Albion as many posters, but still, difficult to wish him too much luck.

[Dave]

An above average shot stopper that's shit at kicking. I'd have liked to have kept him but he's basically Guzan before the confidence loss.

Reckon that Guzan at his best for us was head and shoulders above Johnstone's best for us.

Although obviously his worst was erm... toes and ankles.

So yes, this era's Guzan is probably about right.

[eamonn]

Sam seemed to have a real affinity with us. Wonder if he would have chosen us on less wages if we could have afforded the transfer fee.

[KevinGage]

In a league where so many attacks come in from the flanks, it's vital to have a keeper that is comfortable coming for the ball.  Rarely had a worry about that side of the game with Johnstone last year.

He was excellent at that. And a good shot stopper -as should be the case with most goalkeepers.  His distribution and kicking under pressure could be a bit ropey at times. But the fundamentals were there and the rest could be worked on.

He is one that could have grown with us, so it's a shame not only that won't happen but that he has put the kybosh on his career joining a non entity like the Olbiyun.

For those not too bothered about this, I hope that still holds true when Bunn or Steer are throwing the ball into their own net for Tone's Bargain Basement Dream XI.

[ASHTONVILLA]

He was average, which was an improvement over the previous couple of keepers but hardly inspiring.

Would definitely not want to have seen us spunk £6m on a bang average keeper, there must be someone as good or better on a free or smaller fee somewhere.

[paul_e]

He was average, which was an improvement over the previous couple of keepers but hardly inspiring.

Would definitely not want to have seen us spunk £6m on a bang average keeper, there must be someone as good or better on a free or smaller fee somewhere.

I agree, 1 year left on his deal so whilst he is a decent championship keeper that fee is probably 2-3 times his value for me.  I just don't see this as a massive loss, good shot stopper, shit distribution and 50/50 from crosses (largely because too often he'd get a weak punch on the ball and not get rid of the danger).

[andyh]

The ****** is now dead to me

[GarTomas]

Fee seems steep for me.

£2mn as a keeper to get you out the Chanpionship yes; but he didn’t improve enough for me last year to warrant £6.5mn

[olaftab]

Confirmed - signed for Ollbeyun - £6.5m

They are welcomed to him. No loss.