Ian St. John Biography

Ian St. John, Athlete

Occup.	Athlete
From	Scotland
Born	June 7, 1938 Motherwell, Lanarkshire, Scotland
Age	86 years

Early Life and also Background
Ian St. John was born on June 7, 1938, in Motherwell, Scotland. He established an enthusiasm for football at a very early age as well as promptly developed himself as a skilled gamer in his home town. He went on to come to be a leading expert athlete and also an essential number in the globe of Scottish and also English football, before retiring to end up being a famous analyst, television speaker, and expert.

Youth Career and also Motherwell F.C.
Ian St. John's football journey began in the youth rankings of his regional club, Motherwell F.C., where he played as a forward. His commitment as well as talent appeared from the beginning, and also he swiftly increased with the ranks, making his debut for the elderly team in 1957. St. John's expertise in racking up goals, combined with his strong physical existence, made him a preferred among the followers and assisted him make a normal starting setting on the first string.

During his time at Motherwell, St. John scored a total amount of 80 objectives in just 113 league looks, bring in the attention of various top-flight clubs across the United Kingdom.

Liverpool F.C. and also the Bill Shankly Era
In 1961, Ian St. John was authorized by Liverpool F.C. for an after that club-record cost of ₤ 37,500. Liverpool's supervisor, Bill Shankly, saw St. John as a crucial addition to his reconstructing job, intending to transform the club right into a leading force in English football. Shankly's belief in St. John verified to be rock-solid, as the Scottish forward quickly adapted to life in the English First Division as well as created a powerful partnership with fellow ahead Roger Hunt.

Over the following decade, St. John played a critical role in a few of Liverpool's biggest successes, including their first-ever FA Cup win in 1965, when he scored the winning objective in additional time versus Leeds United. He additionally aided the club win the English First Division title in 1964 and also 1966.

Throughout his time at Liverpool, St. John played along with some of the greatest footballers of the age, consisting of Roger Hunt, Ron Yeats, and Tommy Smith. He made greater than 400 looks for the club, scoring over 100 goals in total.

Later On Playing Career
As his time at Liverpool involved an end in 1971, St. John spent a quick period at Hellenic F.C. in South Africa before returning to the U.K. to sign up with Coventry City F.C. in the 1971-72 season. However, his time with Coventry was short-lived, as well as he later had short spells at Tranmere Rovers and also Motherwell.

International Career
Ian St. John's success at the club level made him a place in the Scottish national team, where he earned 21 elderly caps in between 1959 and 1965. He racked up a total of nine goals for his nation, including 4 in the 1962 FIFA World Cup certifying campaign.

Post-Playing Career: Management, Broadcasting, and Punditry
Upon retiring as a player, St. John changed his emphasis to football monitoring, where he significantly acted as supervisor for his former club Motherwell and later Portsmouth F.C., during the 1970s.

Nevertheless, it was in the world of television and also broadcasting that Ian St. John absolutely discovered his calls. In 1989, he started co-hosting the popular UK sports show 'Saint as well as Greavsie' alongside former England footballer and also fellow expert Jimmy Greaves. The show ran for 7 years and also came to be a popular component in the British sporting activities broadcasting scene.

St. John likewise worked as an analyst and also expert for various radio and also tv networks, sharing his comprehensive knowledge as well as understanding on the attractive video game. His gracious character and undeviating love for football endeared him to followers throughout generations.

Verdict
Ian St. John was not just a respected goalscorer as well as a critical figure for Motherwell and also Liverpool throughout the 1960s however also went on to make a substantial influence off the pitch with his managerial and broadcasting occupation. His devotion to football and his distinct capacity to get in touch with followers made him an icon on the planet of sporting activities.

Unfortunately, Ian St. John died on March 1, 2021, after a long fight with ailment. His heritage as an athlete, manager, and broadcaster will certainly live on, and he will certainly be kept in mind as one of football's real gentlemen.

Our collection contains 9 quotes who is written / told by Ian.

Related authors: Jimmy Greaves (Athlete), Tommy Smith (1945), Bill Shankly (Athlete)

Source / external links:

9 Famous quotes by Ian St. John

"Well, he doesn't make me laugh. I think I've got a fair sense of humour but I can't really see it in him. I've listened to his show on the radio on a Saturday morning, and that's a load of mince as well"

"Trying to take the credit for Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard, who had been at the club since they were eight. Can you believe it? I can't"

"If I had been trying to take the job away from him in a sneaky, underhand manner, then I deserved all I got. But it was the other way around. I was trying to get him the job"

"I don't want to see people decorating a house or digging a garden. As for guys like Jonathan Ross, he got an award there last Christmas. What for? He doesn't sing, dance or tell jokes, does he?"

"We went to dinner and healed the wounds, at least to a certain degree. But I hope he understands the hurt he did to me. He put the boot into a pal and I don't think you should do that"

"I wouldn't be surprised if this game went all the way to the finish"

"Yeah, right. I mean, he criticises everybody in the media, then the first thing he does when he finishes is he goes to work for the media. Thompson, too. Hypocritical"

"Once you're on the wheel, you don't come off"

"Christ, he was paranoid about criticism. I used to say: why doesn't he worry about the team and forget what people are saying? He got Phil Thompson, who was a kid coming through when I was a Liverpool player, to have a go at me. So now I don't talk to him"