MANAGER Ronnie Moore is ready to give young on-loan defender John Johnson a hectic introduction to football at League One level with Tranmere over the next month.

The 20-year-old product of the youth academy at Middlesbrough is rated as a prospect of promise in the North East.

But so far his first-team experience does not go beyond one substitute appearance in Boro’s 5-0 Premier League defeat to Chelsea during October.

That looks sure to change as Moore pencils in Johnson for up to six games in 23 days during a busy December for Rovers.

The youngster will be taking over the right-back spot vacated by Ryan Shotton, who completed a three-month short-term loan from Stoke City last weekend.

Tranmere expect to have Shotton back at Prenton Park as soon as the January transfer window opens – this time on a long-term loan running until the end of the season.

But Johnson has been recruited to fill the gap and Moore is confident the youngster can do a good job.

Moore said: “I think John will be a good signing for us. Supporters should not expect him to be like Shots, who is massive in power and strength.

“John is different, a good passer of the ball who can play centre-back as well as right-back. He has the right attitude and it’s an opportunity for him.”

Johnson is lined up to make his League One debut in Tranmere’s encounter with Leeds United at Prenton Park on Saturday.

He does not have permission from Middlesbrough to play in the FA Cup so he will miss the second round replay against Peterborough at Prenton Park next Tuesday.

But Johnson has the all-clear to play in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy northern semi-final at Scunthorpe on Tuesday, December 16.

Moore says Tranmere had to beat off competition to secure Johnson’s temporary services. He explained: “I am grateful to (Middlesbrough manager) Gareth Southgate for letting John come here because there were one or two clubs who were after him as well. We were the first to put the claim in – in fact we were even thinking about John before we signed Ryan.”

Johnson will be slotting into a defence that has kept nine clean sheets in the last 12 league and cup games, losing just twice.

Moore said: “I am encouraged by the way we are playing. I think that when our players are fit, we have a squad that’s as good as anyone’s in the division. We are not frightened of any team. We’ve played three of the top sides in recent games, Southend, Scunthorpe and Peterborough, won one and drew two, and were the better team in all three games.

“But it’s not all about performances because we are still playing well and not winning games. We need to be able to kill teams off when we are on top.”

Leeds, the bookmakers’ early-season favourites for promotion, were dumped out of the FA Cup at non-league Histon this week and will hope to regain a top six spot in the League One table by overcoming Rovers.

Tranmere’s failure to convert a handful of chances at London Road means that next Tuesday’s FA Cup replay with the Posh bars the route to a third-round tie at West Bromwich Albion.

A visit to the Hawthorns, though not quite a jackpot, would provide Rovers with a valuable financial boost.

Moore said: “Both Peterborough and ourselves will be thinking that if we were going to have an away tie, you want one of the big four. But West Brom are a Premier League side and well supported.

“There will probably be 20,000 plus at the game. It’s a big game to look forward to although we have a very difficult replay against Peterborough to get through before that.”