Ian St John

This article is about the footballer. For the fictional pilot of the Wing Commander computer games, see Ian St. John (character).

Ian St. John (born June 7, 1938, in Motherwell) is a former Scottish football player, manager and pundit, who played for Scotland 21 times.

St. John began his career at boyhood favourites Motherwell, where he scored one of the fastest hat-tricks on record: 2 minutes and 30 seconds, against Hibs in 1959. He transferred to Liverpool in 1961, for more than double the previous highest transfer fee paid by the Anfield board.

Ian made his debut against local rivals Everton. Although Liverpool lost 3-4, he announced his arrival in spectacular style by scoring all 3 of his side's goals. That first game served the most emphatic of notices of the new boy's talent for goals, returning totals of 18, 19 and 21 goals in his first three seasons.

He went on to score many vital goals for Liverpool, including a flying, whiplash header that he hammered past Leeds United's Gary Sprake to win the FA Cup in 1965 the first time in the clubs history.

Like the whole of Bill Shankly's first great team, Ian St. John was at his peak during the mid-1960s. And as he entered his thirties during the latter years of that decade his form and fitness began to dip - until the end came - as it did for several other members of his side - with the shock FA Cup defeat at Watford in 1970.

St. John was sold to Coventry City F.C. for the 1971/72 season, after playing 424 games and scoring 118 goals for Liverpool. He played for Coventry for just that season, before moving to Tranmere Rovers F.C. for the 1972/73 season, after which he retired.

Since retiring from playing he has managed both Portsmouth F.C. and former club Motherwell F.C..

He retired from club management after leaving Portsmouth, and became a pundit, striking up a successful TV partnership, Saint and Greavesie, with fellow ex-footballer Jimmy Greaves. He has also set up several football academies for young players.