
The 20-year-old is on a half-season youth loan deal at King’s Lynn Town and has proven to be one of the star turns in a good opening few months of the campaign.
But Lakeland has been forced to reshuffle his pack at times when Johnson’s parent club recall him for games for their Under-21s.
Lakeland’s assistant Sam Walker is more than familiar with the role, while Greg Taylor has been given run-outs there in recent games.
It means the Lynn boss has to hope the jigsaw slips together.
“Cody’s on a youth loan, so there are certain games that they (Stockport) want to utilise him in for his development and probably to get him back in their building, which we’ve got to respect,” said Lakeland.
“It obviously doesn’t help us when they do that. We managed to ‘get away with it’ at Oxford City away, because we had Sam available and we could play Sam in there, who has got that understanding of the holding midfield player’s role and responsibilities.
“When you haven’t got Cody and Sam as was the case at South Shields, we had to adapt and play in a different way because the midfield players that we had at our disposal, it’s not their natural skill set to sense danger.
“Obviously when he’s here, in the main he’s been outstanding for us. I think a couple of times when he’s been taken back to play for them it’s not helped us, but he’s their player and we have to respect it and adapt when that’s the case.”
Lynn have benefited from Johnson’s presence – but so have Stockport.
“We’ve got the benefit because he is a good player, but they’re getting the benefit because we’re helping develop him,” said Lakeland.
“We’re exposing him to a really good, consistent level of football in a team that is doing okay and has aspirations to do well. I think we’re helping him become a more rounded player, he’s loving his football here and that will only benefit his parent club when he does go back.
So everybody’s getting a good deal, and hopefully he’ll be available for us more often than he’s not.”