Fulham striker Eddie Johnson has expressed his gratitude to the sport of soccer for helping to keep him out of trouble during his younger days.

The U.S. international grew up in Florida, and readily admits some boyhood pals went the wrong way in life.

"I was a bit lucky because I was always into sports," Johnson told the club website. "I was good at sports, so I think sports was my way out of all the bad things that my other friends were doing: the robbing, the breaking into houses to selling drugs and all of that stuff."

"Playing sports really motivated me and kept me out of trouble."