Sam McClelland, a doughty defender hailing from Northern Ireland, was born on the 4th of January 2002, making him a not-so-veteran of 22 years. Having staked a claim in the heart of the St Johnstone defence, the man of 6ft 3in (or 1.91m if you prefer your measurements in the metric system) confidently canvasses the pitch. Weighing in at 12st 6lb (or 79kg), he wears the burden of defending the St Johnstone goal with pride along with his number 18 jersey.
The lad's market value, as per the calculations over at Transfermarkt, hovers around the £150k mark. His reconnaissance with St Johnstone sees the calendar through till the end of May 2025, with eight months remaining on his current deal.
McClelland's journey in professional football began in July 2018 when he was enticed by the dazzle of London and joined Chelsea as a trainee. A temporary stint in England's League Two club, Barrow, beckoned in July 2022 where he managed a respectable tally of one goal and 18 appearances in his debut season 2022-2023.
The young lad then ventured north of the border, trading the Chelsea blue for St Johnstone's stripes in August 2023. His first season at McDiarmid Park resulted in seven league appearances, while the current term of 2024-2025 has seen him feature once thus far.
February 2024 witnessed the defender switch colours yet again, albeit temporarily, moving on loan to Dundee United. A fairly quiet period saw McClelland taking the pitch six times for the Tannadice outfit in the 2023-2024 season.
Having concluded his short spell at Dundee United, McClelland returned to St Johnstone in June 2024, where he carries on his duties to date. The 2024-2025 season as previously mentioned has seen him make one appearance so far. The Northern Irishman's name was also listed on the League Cup starting lineup for St Johnstone four times in the 2024-2025 campaign.
