Declan John knows what it’s like to be a young man dropped into the deep end amid a Rangers crisis. But his sympathy for the current crop of nervy new boys at his old club will be in short supply today.
The Welshman returns with St Mirren and aims to pile on the misery for Gers in their Premier Sports Cup last 16 tie.
A Turbulent Year at Ibrox
John moved on loan from Cardiff to the Ibrox cauldron as gaffer Pedro Caixinha’s 11th summer signing of 2017. The transfer became permanent mid-season but the Portuguese coach was long gone by then.
Caixinha’s terrible tenure ended on the night of John’s Ibrox bow in October – a 1-1 draw with Kilmarnock. John was then one of the few to shine in Graeme Murty’s chaotic interim reign, with Jimmy Nicholl finishing up in charge.
He admits being mired in the madness for a year was the making of him.
John said: “I had just turned 22. It was my first move away from home and it was a big experience.
“Rangers are a massive club who expect to win every week and it was a pleasure to play for them.
“Of course, you have to grow up quickly in that environment. I was a young lad living on his own in a completely new city.
“You’re just getting used to that then there’s the pressures that come with playing for Rangers.
“It brought me on as a person. I’ve taken those lessons on with me today.
“I was a part of squads that got some really good results – but some really bad ones too. I played in a couple of Old Firm games.
“Every player who plays for that club is going to come under big scrutiny. They expect to be winning every weekend.”
Returning to Govan
John was a star of the Stephen Robinson side that beat Gers 2-0 in Govan in February 2025. Philippe Clement failed to see out the weekend as Ibrox boss. When asked if he reckoned Saints could take advantage of yet another shaky start to the season from Gers, John said: “Yes, if we can.
“We’ll go there and play the way that we play and hopefully get a good result. We are the cup holders and it will be a tough game.
“But we want to hold on to the trophy as best we can. We’ve already won it once so why can’t we go and do it again?
“We want to take our form in recent games into this tie and see what happens. We’ve had good results against Rangers since I’ve been here.”
John left Rangers after just one season as Steven Gerrard was getting started, returning to Wales with Swansea before spells at Bolton and Salford. He was snapped up as a free agent by Robinson for Saints in November 2024.
After a crazy campaign of silverware success and a survival scrape last season, it’s a fresh start since Craig McLeish’s permanent appointment. Topping their Premier Sports Cup group then kicking off the league with two wins is an encouraging sign for the new era.
“It’s been good and we’re enjoying it,” John said. “A full pre-season with the manager was what we all needed for allowing him to get his own ideas across.
“That has come across in the first couple of league games in the performances and the results. If I was going to go into management, I’d probably want to play the same kind of football.
“It’s all about the way we’re set up to play. It’s been really enjoyable and we’re getting results, which is the main thing.”
