and the team went on to finish in ninth position. Towards the end of the campaign Stoke suffered from a loss of form and Hughes cited Johnson's absence as one of the main reasons. Johnson signed a one-year contract extension with Stoke in April 2017. Johnson made 25 appearances in 2016–17, as Stoke finished in 13th position. Johnson struggled for playing time in 2017–18, making just ten appearances, as Stoke suffered relegation to the EFL Championship. He was released by Stoke at the end of the season. On 21 January 2019, Johnson announced his retirement. International career Early career and under-21s During his time with the England under-21s, Johnson was handed his full England debut on 18 November 2003 against Denmark, coming on as a substitute for the injured Gary Neville after 16 minutes. Following a poor performance in England's friendly in Denmark in August 2005, he lost his position as Neville's understudy in the squad to Luke Young, who played in both the subsequent World Cup qualifiers. Johnson did not make any further England appearances under Sven-Göran Eriksson or his successor Steve McClaren, but was named in Fabio Capello's first squad in January 2008. In 2010 Johnson played in the 2–0 victory over Andorra, and made four assists in the subsequent 6–0 victory against the same team for which he was named man of the match. Johnson scored his first goal for England in a friendly match against Mexico on 24 May 2010 at Wembley Stadium, which ended 3–1 to England. Euro 2012 In February 2011, Johnson began England's new calendar year by assisting Ashley Young's winning goal in a 2–1 victory over Denmark in Copenhagen. On 16 May 2012, Johnson was named in new England manager Roy Hodgson's UEFA Euro 2012 squad. After missing England's 1–0 friendly win against Norway through injury, he played in England's second warm-up match, a 1–0 win against Belgium at Wembley Stadium. He featured in all three of England's group matches at the tournament, helping England to win their group with a draw against France, and wins against Sweden and Ukraine."Sweden 2–3 England". BBC Sport. 15 June 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2012. On 24 June 2012, he started for England in their quarter-final fixture with Italy, in which they were eliminated on penalties. 2014 World Cup On 12 May, Johnson was named in the 23-man England squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.