Hello Billy, I'd like to welcome you to Lowestoft Town. Firstly, there were a lot of offers for you, so why did you decide that Lowestoft was the right move?
Well, Lowestoft are the biggest club and play at the highest level that I got any offers from. It is a local club to me and is the sort of team that I want to play for. I currently live in Beccles, so it is very practical regarding the travel to matches and training due to only being down the road from me. I think the location and the fact that it is at such a high level means that it was such a good opportunity to push myself forward and develop as a player.

What are your personal targets for the season ahead?
I want to improve myself as a player mainly and build up my confidence in a league that I've never played in before. I just want to better myself, and help the team out where I can. I really want to show the fans that I am capable of performing at this level. The team is obviously the bigger picture and the most important thing, but I mainly want to show fans what I can do.

So, how do you think that you can help to take the pressure off Elvijs Putnins, and how can the more experienced goalkeeper help to improve your game?
I think it is great to have two suitable goalkeepers. It is important as we can both push and motivate each other. There is the fact that we work together, but also we are working against each other. This competition for places will get the best out of both of us. Every training session is about impressing more than the other goalkeeper, and performing in front of the coaching staff. I just think that it will be a good test to show my abilities and what I can do, and I'll look to make Jamie Godbold's decision for him with my performances in training.

Pre-season is now underway, so how essential is this period to prepare players for the season?
It is a very important stage and can help to shape a team's season. The fans will not notice it now, but when we reach the latter stages of matches they know how important late goals can be, and how higher levels of fitness will benefit the club. We want to be the team who still push for goals in the last ten minutes, when a lot of goals are scored, so pre-season is massive for this reason.

Who was either your sporting idol growing up and how did they influence you to pursue a career as a goalkeeper?
I'd say that my sporting idol is Gianluigi Buffon. He obviously is a player who is very popular all over the world, and has such a passion for playing football in goal. He is one of those players who loves to motivate all the players around him, and that makes him a great player to look up to, and someone I'd love to play like.

Finally, how important is it for a goalkeeper of your age to get regular playing time to progress your own personal development?
Yeah, I think that it is definitely key. The most important thing for a young keeper is to play a lot of games, as getting match experience is the best way to improve yourself. It is certainly the most realistic test for difficult match situations that you practice in training. The real challenge is playing games, and getting yourself out there, to make you the player that you want to be. The fact is that even if you make mistakes, you have the chance to learn from them. That is what it is all about!

A big thank you to Billy Johnson for his time, and I wish him and the rest of Lowestoft Town good luck for the season ahead.

Jake Sapsford.