'He's a lunatic in the nicest possible sense'

Brave City keeper Johansson has some bumps and bruises ahead of trip to former club

- Peter Smith

GIVING EVERYTHING: Viktor Johansson on Sweden duty this week and, right, celebrating Stoke's win at Oxford United this month.

(Picture: Alex Burstow/Getty and UEFA)

IT probably shouldn't be all that much a surprise that Viktor Johansson had to nurse some bumps and bruises while back in Sweden this week.

The Stoke number one is 27 now but still plays football with the attitude of a 10-year-old on the playground, throwing himself into harm's way.

He isn’t afraid of a scraped knee or boot in the chin, which is what earned him the nickname The Viking during his days at Rotherham. Well, it was that and the beard.

“Tm brave, I scrap,’ he told the Sentinel when he first arrived at the bet365 Stadium in the summer of 2024.

“T just love getting hit or hitting someone. It’s a contact sport, there should be contact. And I like shot-stopping too.”

So it has proven - and yet, up to now he has also managed to never miss a minute in the league. It is 61 appearances in a row and counting.