Ex-Rangers free agent signs for Scottish Premiership club - 'we're very lucky to get him'

The Welsh international first joined the Ibrox club on loan from Cardiff City at the start of the 2017-18 season under Pedro Caixinha before converting it into a permanent transfer on a three-and-a-half year deal after Graeme Murty had taken charge. However, he left Rangers before the start of the next season following the arrival of Steven Gerrard, completing an £800,000 switch to Swansea City after making 31 appearances at Ibrox under both Caixinha and Murty.

John spent three years at Swansea but managed just 11 appearances with most of his time spent out on loan at Sunderland and Bolton, joining the latter on a permament deal in 2021. He made 58 appearances in League One before having a six-month spell at Salford City last season. The seven-times capped defender has been without a club since leaving Bolton in May, but he is now back in Scottish Premiership after signing a short-term contract with St Mirren. The 29-year-old has penned a two-month deal until January 2025.

John told the St Mirren website: “I’m absolutely delighted to be here. It’s been a crazy few days. I came up on Thursday, trained on Friday and went to watch the game on Saturday which was a great win for the boys. I’ve enjoyed it and I’m really looking forward to getting back into training. From walking in, everything has been so positive and you can feel that in the changing room. It feels like a really good place to be.”

St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson added: “Declan is here on a short-term deal with a view to extending, depending on how it goes. The circumstances we find ourselves in means we’re very short of defence cover. Declan comes in with a vast amount of experience. He’s played at some very high levels and obviously been up in Scotland before as well so we’re very lucky that we’ve been able to get him in.

“We’ve seen his quality in his first couple of days in training. He’s a talented boy, is very good technically but he hasn’t played a lot of football in recent months so that’s something we need to look at and try to get him up to speed. To add to the squad with the quality and background Declan has then I believe we are very lucky at this stage of the season.”