Twenty-eight-year-old winger Johnny Russell was signed from English Championship side Derby County in January. His Scottish accent, his tattoos, and his enthusiasm for Sporting Kansas City and MLS quickly made Russell a fan favorite. Yet his five MLS goals – especially his April 30 hat trick (and six helpers) – and his goal and two assists in US Open Cup play have made him a hero. Currently, Sporting KC is second in MLS’s Western Conference and is into the Quarterfinals in the US Open Cup.
In a Question-and-Answer sit down with The Blue Testament, Johnny Russell talks his recent goal scoring drought, his leadership, the team’s recent losses, family life, MLS, Saturday’s fixture versus Toronto, Felipe Gutierrez’s coming return, and his favorite moments thus far.