York City are expected to retain loanee Zak Johnson from Premier League side Sunderland until the end of the 2025/26 National League season.
Stuart Maynard‘s side are currently continuing their march towards the top of the National League, with the hope of ensuring history doesn’t repeat itself in comparison to their fortunes of the previous campaign. The club finished on 96 points but lost out on the title and crashed out of the play-offs at the semi-final stage with a heavy 3-0 defeat.
With defensive injuries beginning to creep into camp and the race for the title continuing to be a close one between several sides, it is essential for a side at that level to keep their options strong during the busy period and it appears that York are attempting to do just that.
York City expected to retain loan star
With injuries to Ash Palmer and Malachi Fagan-Walcott, York are likely to be keen on retaining as many defensive talents as possible, moving into the second half of the season.
Fortunately for York, BBC Radio York journalist David Ward has confirmed that loanee Zak Johnson is expected to remain with the National League side until the end of the current campaign, likely including any potential play-off run should they fail to win the division.
His loan extension is matched with the news that defender Jeff King has been recalled from his stint at Boreham Wood and centre-back Morgan Williams has completed a move to the club from Yeovil Town.
Johnson joined the club on loan from Sunderland in November, and has made three league appearances so far this season – all of which ended in victories for the club.
Can Johnson make a claim to help York get over the line?
The current season is following a similar trend to the previous one, which may not necessarily be the news that York City fans want to hear – especially given how they fell short during the second half of the campaign.
A mixture of fatigue, injuries and a lack of tactical tweaks (due to player availability) caused York to collapse during the second half of last season. They’ll likely be working hard to avoid that this time around – and having options like Johnson can certainly help that.
For example, York have already responded quickly and sharply to replace injured players, recall high-performing players that they’ve sent out on loan previously and add players to the side when required. These are factors that the club didn’t do last season.
Johnson can operate as a right-back or centre-back for his side, which adds additional depth and versatility options to Maynard’s side. It ensures that the club don’t fall short in a particular area – whilst Johnson himself has had plenty of first-team experiences with the likes of Dundalk, Hartlepool United and Notts County.
These factors can help ensure that the 20-year-old makes an impression with the club and plays a part in pushing them closer to a potential EFL return this season.