Gladiators extend Johnston contract

John Johnston goes into Tuesday night’s home clash with former club Guiseley boosted by the extension of his contract at the Proctor Cars Stadium.

The Gladiators have taken up the option of having Johnston on contract until the end of the 2023/24 campaign much to the player’s delight and that of manager Martin Carruthers.

Johnston, who was signed by former manager Craig Elliott from the Lions soon after his appointment in September 2022 says signing the deal was “a no brainer”.

“As soon as the gaffer and Jay the Chairman mentioned it to me I was keen to get the deal done” he said.

“Matlock’s a great club, a real family club and I settled in really quickly. My family love it down there so for me it’s ideal. I’m at a club that’s going places and meets my ambitions so for me it was a no-brainer. Being here reminds me so much of my time at Altrincham which was really enjoyable when I played the best football of my career.”

Johnston also paid tribute to Carruthers and assistant Wayne Hallcro and says the future looks bright for the Gladiators.

"Since the new gaffer and Wayne have come in they’ve created a great environment, the players that have come in are strong, good lads so I’m sure there’s good times ahead. Fingers crossed we can make the play-offs this season, if not we’ll be set to have a good go next season.”

Carruthers says Johnston is a pleasure to work with.

“I’m absolutely delighted we’ve got the deal confirmed. Since I came to the club JJ’s been absolutely brilliant, we all know the qualities he’s got, he’s a great lad who’s well respected by everyone at the club. He brings energy and enthusiasm to the table and is also a great help to the younger players, so all in all this is great news.”

Ian Richardson