Martin Osborne Johnson CBE (born 9 March 1970)[1] is an English retired rugby union player who represented and captained England and Leicester in a career spanning 16 seasons.

He left the post in November 2011 following England's quarter final defeat at the 2011 Rugby World Cup and has not taken another management position in the game since.

[14] A recurrence of a shoulder injury limited Johnson to just 5 games for Leicester in the 1990–91 season, though he did make his divisional debut for the Midlands.

Johnson returned to action in August 1991 as Leicester toured Canada, but Gissing was still preferred for the early season club matches.

Although he made his Leicester debut in the same season, 1988–89, as fellow lock Matt Poole, the pair did not start a game together until 5 November 1991 against Cambridge University.

He played every game in the 1992–93 Pilkington Cup as Tigers defeated London Scottish, Nottingham, Exeter and Northampton to set up a final at Twickenham against Harlequins.

An early clash of heads with French prop Laurent Seigne left Johnson concussed, but he continued to play as England won 16–15.

In 1993–94 season Johnson again was an ever-present in Tigers run to the cup final but this time Leicester fell short to rivals Bath, losing 21–9.

Johnson played in all 9 games in the first period as Tigers won 7, drew against Bath away, and lost to Bristol to leave them 2nd in the table.

[20] Johnson was again an ever-present in England's 1995 Rugby World Cup Campaign, featuring in group stage wins against Argentina, Italy and Samoa as well as the quarter final against Australia, the losing semi-final against New Zealand and the third place play off against France.

After interest from Sale, Richmond and Newcastle Johnson signed his first professional contract with Leicester in 1996, a 5-year deal worth "six figures" per year.

The Somerset side clinched the league on the final day of the season; despite Bath only drawing at home with Sale, Tigers were unable to beat Harlequins at Welford Road, losing 21–19.

He led the side in the short lived Anglo-Welsh League against Bridgend then again in Leicester's Heineken Cup debut against Leinster at Donnybrook.

The Lions convincingly won the first test at Newlands 25–16 with Neil Jenkins kicking five penalties and Matt Dawson and Alan Tait scoring tries.

The Lions then held off a ferocious South African fightback, Lawrence Dallaglio putting in a try-saving tackle, to win the match 18–15 and take the series.

The season started with the Heineken Cup and Leicester secured a quarter final play off after finishing second in their group containing Leinster, Toulouse and Amatori Milan.

In February 1998 Johnson's predecessor as Leicester captain Dean Richards was appointed as Director of Rugby following Bob Dwyer's sacking.

Dreams of the double were dashed by Richmond in the quarter finals of the cup, Johnson received a white card (at the time signifying 10 minutes in the sin bin) and during his absence the Londoners scored their two tries in a 15–13 win.

[24] By now appointed England captain, Johnson missed the start of the 1999-2000 Premiership season due to the 1999 Rugby World Cup.

Having dominated domestic rugby for the previous two years Leicester were desperate to avenge their 1997 Heineken Cup Final defeat and claim their first European title.

Johnson played in the first four games of the group; wins at home to Pau and away to Glasgow before a loss in Wales to Pontypridd that was quickly avenged a week later at Welford Road.

Leon Lloyd's try gave Leicester a 19–15 win, despite Johnson spending time in the sin bin, to set up the final in the Parc des Princes against Stade Francais.

In the final Johnson was again sin binned, for punching Christophe Juillet,[30] but Tigers prevailed winning 34–30 to secure the club's first continental title.

Johnson returned to fitness to see Leicester through to the Heineken Cup semi finals against Llanelli but as with the season before missed mid-season matches due to a ban picked up in a game against Saracens.

Two weeks later Johnson captained Leicester as they traveled to Nottingham's City Ground for the Heineken Cup semi final against Llanelli.

[37] In 2002 he was the third England captain after John Pullin and Will Carling to lead and beat all of the “Big Three” Southern Hemisphere sides: Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Johnson featured in four of England's five games, wins against France, Wales, Scotland and the Grand Slam decider against Ireland.

In England's second match, a 20–17 victory over Australia, Johnson also performed at a monumental level, leading the former Australian captain, John Eales (who retired in 2001), to commend his display as 'among the best ever by a lock forward'.

[43] In November 2006 it was rumoured the then England head rugby coach, Andy Robinson, was to be sacked and Johnson was one of many names speculated by the press as his replacement.

England had four wins under Johnson going into 2009; in the 2009 Six Nations Championship they beat Italy 36–11, France 34–10 and Scotland 26–12 but were defeated by Ireland by 14–13 and to Wales by 23–15.