PITTSBURGH (March 8, 2024) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC has signed forward Emmanuel Johnson to a one-year deal, pending USL and U.S. Soccer approval, adding another energetic player to the attacking group in time for the opening of the 2024 USL Championship season.
Johnson, 20, hails from Fairfield, Calif., and is a product of the Sacramento Republic Academy, where he trained with Sacramento’s First Team under a USL Academy contract. Johnson elected to turn pro after a stint with the Barça Residency Academy in the U.S., signing in 2022 with Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership.
“EJ is a young forward with pace and size that can trouble defenders. His ability off the dribble and willingness to press are a welcome addition to our group of attackers, and we look forward to working with him in 2024,” Riverhounds head coach Bob Lilley said.
Johnson made his pro debut in the USL Championship early in 2022, making 13 appearances while on loan to the Charleston Battery and scoring his first pro goal less than a month after his 19th birthday. He returned to Scotland in June and spent the second half of the year on loan to FC Edinburgh in Scottish League One.
Last season, Johnson went on loan back in the U.S. with Austin FC II in third-tier MLS Next Pro, where he made 21 appearances and won the league title, but Hibernian opted to release him from his contract in January after the loan spell ended.
Johnson is expected to be eligible for selection when the Hounds open their season tomorrow at 4 p.m., on the road against New Mexico United. That game will air live on KDKA+, stream on ESPN+ and be broadcast nationally on SiriusXM FC Channel 157.
