Shaun Johnson will run out at Mt Smart Stadium for the last time with sadness but also with great love for the crowd that returned the love in bountiful measure.

The 33-year-old half, who will retire at season’s end, will play Canterbury in Auckland on Friday night before finishing his career against former club Cronulla the following Saturday,

Johnson’s family will be on hand to cherish the occasion against the Bulldogs but on a personal note his emotions were raw.

“I know I will miss it. I already have the feeling of what it is going to be like coming here for one last time,” Johnson said.

“For me it is going to be sad. I am going to be gutted but we will go out there and try and win a game of footy as well.”

Johnson has a high level of appreciation for the Mt Smart crowd that he first ran out in front of in the NRL as a 20-year-old in 2011.

“A lot of the people that sit in the stands have been there since I came to the club and there are faces I recognise every week, so that is not lost on me,” he said.

“I will do my very best to enjoy this week and enjoy running out there and try and absorb as much as I can.”

Johnson, who has played 266 NRL games with 222 for the Warriors, will be remembered as one of the best players New Zealand has produced.

The veteran of 32 Tests for the Kiwis said that when he looked back on his career it still “baffled” him that he had been able to achieve so much and created so many memories for fans.

One of his earliest acts of genius was when Johnson razzled and dazzled past  seven Brisbane players in a 70m run to the tryline in round 22 of 2011, his debut season. It was the first of many magic moments to come.

“The biggest part to it all is hearing from kids and fans about how they were a certain age when I did a certain thing and them telling me how it affected their life,” he said.

“That has all come to a head now that I have announced I’m not running around (again). For me it still doesn’t feel real.”

He said Mt Smart, to be called Shaun Johnson Stadium for the emotional clash against Canterbury, had “a real sense of home” for him.

“It is a journey that I never thought would end,” he said.

“I just need to get this last run-out done and then I will be sweet. I am only going to get to experience running through those doors and out in front of this crowd one more time. That is the thing that hits me low in the gut.

“It is just the best feeling … running out to a place that you love and care about so much and to feel the type of love and warmth from a crowd that rides every bit of momentum with you.”

Warriors forwards Addin Fonua-Blake and Jazz Tevaga will also leave the club at the end of the season and Johnson said he was determined to play in a way that honoured them as well.