ADAM JOHNSON is determined to maintain the form that saw him touted for a World Cup place towards the end of last season, and is hoping Saturday’s solo goal against Spurs will contribute to a more reliable goalscoring return.

The Sunderland winger ended last season with ten goals to his name, but with his first Premier League success not coming until December, he relied on a glut of strikes in the second half of the campaign to reach that total.

Saturday’s dribbled effort followed hot on the heels of a clinical strike in the closing stages of last month’s Capital One Cup win at Birmingham, and means Johnson is already ahead of schedule in terms of improving on last season’s tally.

And while finding the net will always be an important part of his game, the 27-year-old is hoping his marksmanship forms part of a generally strong showing that could once again see his name thrust into the international equation.

“I’ve been happy with how things have gone for me since January,” said Johnson. “This year has gone well for me, and I just want to push on and give things a really good go.

“In terms of the goals, I’m delighted to get off the mark early on. I want to score as many as I did last season and at least hit double figures. I could have had a second at the weekend (when he whistled a long-range shot past the post in the second half). It went close, and when I hit it, I thought it had a chance.”

Johnson’s fourth-minute strike cancelled out Nacer Chadli’s early opener, and while Sunderland fell behind again when Christian Eriksen scored at the start of the second half, Harry Kane’s late own goal ensured the scores finished level.

The Black Cats have been behind in all three of the games they have drawn so far, and having been part of the side that capitulated on a regular basis in the first half of last season, Johnson is delighted with the resolve that is apparent within the current squad.

“We showed character to stay in the game and get a point,” he said. “It was very open at the start, it was a hot, tough day, and Spurs are a strong, powerful team.

“But we have come back again and that shows the character of the team coming through, with us scoring late.

“If we get a win next weekend (at Burnley), it will have been a great start. At this stage last year, we only had a point, and it has been a difficult start fixture wise. We have had tough home games (against Manchester United and Spurs), and anywhere you go away from home in the Premier League is difficult.”

Meanwhile, Sunderland owner, Ellis Short, appeared to use his weekend programme notes to rule out another move for Fabio Borini in January.

“The player had initially, and throughout the summer, given us hope he would like to join,” said Short. “It now appears however that Fabio never had an intention to play his football at Sunderland.”