Declan John, born on the youthful side of the millennium (30 June 1995, in case you were wondering), is a product of the rolling hills and choir-filled valleys of Wales. Gracing our humble Scottish Football Premiership, he's adopted the role of left back for the mighty St Mirren - donning the heart-stirring number 24 jersey. At 5ft 10in (or 1.78m for those who've turned their back on imperial), and weighing in at a respectable 11st 11lb (75kg for the metrically inclined), he's hardly a highland giant, but I'm sure he gets by just fine.
Our friends over at Transfermarkt value our Welsh defender at a modest €250K. Converted to the Queen's currency (though we'll not be mentioning her, mind) that's around £212k. Not bad for a lad who's seen more clubs than a seasoned pub golfer.
Not one for staying put, Declan's path to today reads like the Madden Journeyman of the Year; and I've got the punishing stats to prove it. Starting off at League One side Cardiff City as a trainee in July 2011, he went on to make 20, 6, 1 and 15 first team appearances in the 2013 - 2017 seasons (not all in that order, of course).
He went briefly to Barnsley on loan in March 2015 (a charming place famous for coal mining and pork pies), before returning to Cardiff. Then off again on loan to League Two Chesterfield in February 2016 (known for playing football somewhere between grass and mud). Then back to Cardiff. Are you following?
The year 2017 saw young Declan dipping his toes up north with Rangers in Scotland - first on loan, then as a permanent transfer, with 26 appearances and three goals to his name. Then, demonstrating a possible lack of commitment to the weather, he shot down to Swansea City in the Championship in England for just under a cool million quid (£800k) in 2018.
His time in Swansea was punctuated by a brief sojourn to Sunderland on loan before returning to Swansea, only to be loaned again to Bolton Wanderers in January 2021. There must be something captivating about Bolton because he made the move permanent in July of the same year. But, yet again, the wanderlust struck and he was off to Salford City on loan. No doubt exhausting all the local attractions, he returned to Bolton six months later.
Fear not though, for the tales of his travels do find their end. Come November 2024, Declan found his way to the verdant pastures of St Mirren's turf. Here he's made 18 appearances and scored two goals in league play in the 2024 - 2025 season and 29 appearances with one goal in the 2025 - 2026 season. To anyone counting, that's not half bad for a seemingly peripatetic player.
In more recent achievements, John has displayed his prowess in the League Cup 2025 - 2026 for St Mirren with seven starts and a single appearance as a substitute. The same season saw him taking the field in the Scottish Cup four times. Whether we'll see more of him on the pitch, only time and potentially more loan agreements will tell.