Sam Johnstone targeting more clean sheets with West Brom this season

Johnstone, who was man of the match in Albion’s 4-3 win over Norwich City last weekend, kept 22 clean sheets in the Championship for Albion’s rivals Villa last season.

Twenty of those came in the regular season, with two more in the play-off semi-final against Middlesbrough.

Only John Ruddy kept more clean sheets for champions Wolves, but Johnstone wants to finish top of the pile this time around.

“I want to better last year's record,” he said. “I had 22 last year and I want to better that personally.

“That also helps the team. We're working hard to do that. Three points is the main thing, because that ultimately gets you promoted if you build them up.

“But a clean sheet as a goalkeeper, and as a team, is something to build off.”

Albion kept their first clean sheet of the season in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night but Johnstone's understudy, Boaz Myhill was in goal.

In the league, the Baggies have looked shaky at the back, and have conceded six goals from their opening three Championship fixtures.

But Johnstone has urged supporters to be patient with the defence, as they settle in to new partnerships.

“That will only come with games,” he said. “I'm new, Kyle Bartley's new, we're trying to get used to playing with everyone else.

“Conor (Townsend) is new at left-back. Bare with us and we will click. There's a lot of games, hopefully we get into a rhythm of winning and get promotion at the end of the season.”

But the Baggies have also scored six goals from their opening three league games, and Johnstone has been impressed with the firepower up front.

“The quality of this team is unbelievable for the Championship,” he said. “We just need to get used to it, it's a fight, it's difficult, anyone can beat anyone in this league. Every game's difficult.

“We need to get our minds round that and recover properly because there's always a game a few days after. There's a long way to go yet.”

And the £6.5m summer signing gave an insight into head coach Darren Moore’s plan for the season.

“The manager's been great, he's drilling into us to play with the ball and pass it,” said Johnstone. “You lads up top go and put it in the net.

“There's no reins on us to hold back, we need to go and use our quality and win the game. The lads enjoy that, and it's just getting our heads round the league. It's not easy to get results in it.”

Johnstone came through Manchester United’s academy but never made a first-team appearance for the Red Devils before being sold to the Baggies, instead relying on loan moves.

Some players might find it difficult to leave such a successful club, but it was a no-brainer for Johnstone.

“It wasn't hard,” he added. “I've been ready to leave for a couple of years.

“Luckily I've gone out and played football, I'm used to going out and settling in new clubs. I'm here now.

“I was lucky enough to grow up at Man Utd and train with the best, they've got the best goalkeeper in the world there (David de Gea).

“But it wasn't difficult, I wanted to play football, I'm 25, I didn't want to sit around and train every day. This has been a great team to be with.”