Fulham striker Andy Johnson admits he owes his career to knee expert Dr Richard Steadman.

After back-to-back injuries and stop-start attempts to ­return, Johnson's knee was seriously damaged in a ­collision with Blackburn's Chris Samba. He had to undergo ­pioneering surgery in ­Colorado, performed by Steadman, the world renowned specialist in his field.

"There is no doubt I owe him my career," said Johnson in the Sunday Mirror.

"The odds were stacked against me making a full ­recovery.

"He openly admitted it was the second biggest area he had ever had to repair, performing state of the art microsurgery that repairs and re-grows the cartilage in your knee.

"I remember walking into his office and his walls were covered in shirts from famous sports stars thanking him for saving their careers."