Tom Johnstone


Tom Johnstone is an England international rugby league footballer who plays as a for Wakefield Trinity RLFC in the Super League.
He has spent time on loan from Wakefield at Featherstone Rovers in the Championship. Johnstone was the winner of the Super League Young Player of the Year in 2016.

Background

Johnstone was born in Germany and is of Scottish descent.
With his father in the Army, Johnstone was born in Germany. Johnstone has lived in England since he was very young; as a junior, he played for Stanningley Amateur Rugby League Club. He attended Pudsey Grangefield School and represented the City of Leeds sprinting team at Indoor athletics.

Playing career

Johnstone plays at Wing or Centre. He is noted as one of the fastest players in the game. He has also represented England at under 19's level. He made his professional début for Wakefield Trinity against Leeds Rhino's in 2014 during a Boxing day friendly at Headingley. He made his full Super League début for an injury-hit Wakefield Trinity side in their 2015 Round 7 defeat by the Wigan Warriors. He played 13 times in his first season at Wakefield Trinity, scoring 9 tries. He scored his first Wakefield Trinity try against St Helens in a 44-4 defeat. In his second season 2016 he scored one length of the field effort that was considered considered to be the try of the season.
The Wakefield Trinity club have now signed him up on a long four-season deal, an unprecedented step by the club.
Arguably the brightest young talent in English Rugby League, Tom Johnstone is widely regarded as one of the fastest players in the Super League if not the fastest and is without a doubt one of the best finishers. Johnstone has scored 67 tries in 78 appearances for Trinity.
Johnstone received his first International call up against France in 2018, he scored a sensational hat-trick of tries on his debut.
Johnstone was one of the favourites in 2019 to become Super League's top try-scorer and he appeared well motivated to achieve that accolade until injury struck.

International career

In 2018 he was selected for England against France at the Leigh Sports Village.

Injuries

Johnstone has suffered two career-threatening anterior cruciate ligament knee injuries, one in each leg. The first was in 2017, the second was in 2019 to which he is still recovering. He is expected to be fully recovered for 2020's Super League XXV.