Martin Allen says Elliot Johnson ‘is Barnet’ after the left-back put in another excellent showing as an auxiliary central midfielder against Eastleigh on Saturday.

The Edgware-born left-back progressed through the Bees’ academy set-up to make his Barnet debut in the 1-0 win over Torquay United in November 2012 and has since made 68 first-team appearances.

Johnson, 20, went on to make 26 appearances in his breakthrough season, before establishing himself as the club’s first-choice left-back last season.

Allen moved the full-back into the centre of midfield in Barnet’s 5-0 win over Altrincham last month and again started him there in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Eastleigh.

Speaking after victory over the Spitfires at The Hive, Allen was quick to highlight the importance of players with attachment to the club.

He enthused: “He is Barnet and the supporters love it. We all love it don’t we? He is Barnet through-and-through and it is great to have those types of players that have been brought through the youth system that I am able to use.

“He has got good legs, he has got good energy, he’s a good passer of the ball, he is good in the air, he is tenacious, he broke forward really well in the first half and nearly got into the box for a couple of good scoring opportunities. He is tenacious in the tackle, he is young, he is enthusiastic and he is Barnet.”

Johnson’s move into the centre of midfield, alongside skipper Curtis Weston, saw Mauro Vilhete make his return from injury at left-back – a position the Portuguese impressed in last term.

And Allen felt the decision paid off: “We just did the same as we had done against Altrincham.

“Elliot played in midfield against Altrincham. I suppose some people do call me mad, don’t they? I suppose when you do things like that; you change people’s positions around, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. But I have to go with my gut feeling and I thought Elliot could do a very good job in there for our team and he has done.

Allen added: “He has played in there twice and we have won twice. He is a good player Elliot and he can play anywhere for our team, but they all can, because we work on it on the training pitch all the time. They all learn how to play in each other’s position and they all know what to do.”