Declan John, hailing from the land of the dragon, Wales, to be precise, was born on the 30 June 1995, making our lad a spry 29-year-old. He wields his football acumen from the position of a defender, primarily swanning about as a left back for the mighty St Mirren. He's not a half-bad size for a footballer, standing at 5ft 10in (1.78m) and weighing in at a sturdy 11st 11lb (75kg). If you're ever attempting to spot him on the pitch, he's generally donning the number 24 jersey. A star he may not be, with a rather middling market value of around £225k, according to distributors of such trivial facts, Transfermarkt. His tenure with St Mirren is nearing its dramatic conclusion, with his contract prepared to expire with a puff of smoke on the 31st May 2025.
Let's take a wee journey back in time, shall we? The year, 2011, the month, July. A young, fresh-faced John found himself joining Cardiff City in the Championship in England, green as an unripe apple. Seasons came and went, with John making various numbers of league appearances for the club, but never quite setting the pitch alight.
In a plot twist that left no one on the edge of their seats, John embarked on a series of loans to clubs including Barnsley and Chesterfield in England. This chapter of our tale involved more league appearances, some back-and-forth transfers, and a narrative arch that was about as riveting as watching paint dry.
After a dreary interlude, 2017 arrived, and our protagonist managed to up sticks to Rangers in the Scottish Premiership, at first on loan, then fully transferring in January 2018. The lad made a somewhat respectable 26 appearances and scored three goals in league matches. Pity he couldn't keep that momentum going.
Clearly yearning for the grey skies of England, John transferred back from Rangers to Swansea City in August 2018 for a figure around £800k. This return came with a cavalcade of loans, this time to Sunderland, then later to Bolton Wanderers, where he'd later transfer in July 2021. He even took a slight detour to Salford City - a move that was about as intriguing as a water-soaked biscuit.
Finally, in November 2024, John made the considerably wise decision to join St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership – where he has currently made 11 first-team appearances and scored two goals in the 2024 - 2025 season. As a fun, barely relevant aside, he's even started once in the Scottish Cup 2024 - 2025 for St Mirren, with one appearance as a substitute. What a thrill.
