Stoke City captain Viktor Johansson suffered a shoulder fracture that ruled him out for the second half of last season

Viktor Johansson knew he was in for a long rehabilitation programme after undergoing surgery back in January.

The Stoke City goalkeeper had suffered a fracture of his shoulder after leaping through bodies to deal with a cross in a game against Sheffield United. In what is perhaps a sign of the 28-year-old's bravery and pain threshold, he heard a crack but played on.

Even he had to concede he needed medical intervention and he had an extra target in mind because Sweden were hoping to, and did, quality for the summer's World Cup.

He got fit again to play in Stoke's final match of the season but, in the meantime, he hadn't just been getting agitated in the treatment room. He had taken Tommy Simkin under his wing while the England youth keeper tried to fill his big gloves in the Championship.

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Simkin - who had been recalled from a loan at Leyton Orient - repaid the kindness by staying behind at the end of the season to work with Johansson on the training ground and try to make sure he was game ready if needed at the World Cup.

"Generally after most games, if he's not with his family, he'd give me a call and speak to me about life, football and family," said Simkin, who is now impressing on loan at Doncaster Rovers, in an interview for the Yorkshire Post.

"If we were having a long drive, we'd call each other. He's top-drawer and especially when I was at Orient - probably having a tough time - he would give me a call and just be there for you as a mentor and older player.

"And then when I came back, he sort of knew the pressure of playing for the club. Stoke's a massive club and he's a good bit older than me and had that experience and probably given me a bit of experience that I didn't have.

"I spent a week with him 24-7 (at end of last season), which was actually class as I think he enjoyed it as I brought the 'kiddie' side out in him. He just needed somebody to stay with. We finished on a Saturday, I think he got married on the Monday back in Sweden and then he came back for the week and his family stayed there; he's got two young kids.

"Just being with each other the whole time, it was class. Just seeing what he's like at the training ground and then away from the club and we were playing golf together and that. It was priceless."