The England full-back put pen to paper on a four-year deal with the Reds on Friday after completing his move from Portsmouth, and Kop icon Lawrenson is confident his arrival will prove to be a shrewd piece of business by Rafa Benitez.
"Johnson is a match-winner. The last time I saw him play was at the end of the campaign when England played Andorra and he set up four of the goals," said the former Reds centre-back.
"Now I appreciate the opposition was worse than second rate but it was a performance that summed up what the player is all about.
"He gets forward and causes defenders problems – gives them something extra to worry about in their own third of the field – and has the accuracy in his delivery to create goal-scoring opportunities.
"And that will be absolutely vital to Liverpool in their attempts to break teams down next season.
"This is, of course, only going to come true if Johnson actually plays to the best of his ability but I can't see any reason why he won't.
"His confidence should be sky high after a season in which he has made himself England's first-choice right-back.
"Ahead of the World Cup next summer, it is his shirt to lose now, and that's a great incentive to take into next season – he should be flying by the time he finally takes to the field in the red of Liverpool."
Lawrenson, who made 356 appearances for Liverpool, feels Johnson is well equipped to fulfil the attacking requirements of a modern full-back.
"They are the people who probably see more of the ball than anyone else on the field and Johnson loves being on the ball," he added.
"And the likes of Yossi Benayoun and Dirk Kuyt will love that because Johnson's danger will pre-occupy defenders enough to give them more freedom to create."
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