Legendary former Liverpool and Scotland striker Ian St John has died at the age of 82.
Born in Motherwell in 1938, St John also enjoyed a successful specialist career after hanging up his boots, entering a television partnership with former England striker Jimmy Greaves to lead the popular Saint and Greaves on ITV.
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Enfield legend, St John has died at the age of 82, with over 400 appearances in Liverpool
A two-time title winner with Liverpool, St. John’s has scored 118 goals for the Reds in 425 appearances over ten years.
His most important goal came in 1965, and was responsible for “the biggest moment [Bill] Shankali era, “according to Liverpool itself.
St John’s won a 2–1 win over Leeds by making it a leader in overdoses at Wembley, which won its first FA Cup at Liverpool.
He won the first division titles in 1963/64 and 1965/66, as well as the second division and three charity shields in 1961/62.
Liverpool said they were “deeply saddened” by the death of the “Reds legend”.
A statement issued by the club on behalf of St. John’s family stated: “It is with a heavy heart that we should inform you that we have lost a husband, a father and a grandfather after a long illness.
“He passed away peacefully on his bed with his family.
“We would like to thank all the staff of Arrow Park Hospital for their hard work and dedication during these very difficult times.
“The family will be grateful for the privacy in this hour of great suffering.”
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St John traveled back to London on the train with Ron Yeats after winning the 1965 FA Cup at Wembley in Liverpool.
Former Reds captain Steven Gerrard honored St. John at a press conference on Tuesday morning.
The Rangers manager said: “It was a shock and a surprise to me, I did not know that. I am really disappointed to hear this.
“He is an iconic Liverpool figure, someone I have met many times.
“He was a brilliant guy, really enjoyable in Liverpool in terms of his career and experience and trying to impart a lot of knowledge and expertise.
“So I am really upset to hear this. I would like to send my condolences to his family and those close to the saint, he is a legend and someone I have great respect for.
In addition to his long stay in Liverpool, St John has also represented local clubs Madewell, South African sides Hellenic and Cape Town City, as well as Coventry and Tranmere Rovers.
Internationally, St John made 21 appearances for Scotland, scoring nine goals, and in 2008 was inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame.
He hung up his boots in 1973 and became manager of Madewell for one season, then moved to Portsmouth for three years.
After a short period as Deputy Director at Sheffield Wednesday and Coventry, St. John moved on to expertise and entered into a highly successful TV partnership with Greaves.
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St John was to sign a record for Liverpool in 1961 and went on to establish himself as a club legend
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He is known for his television career, along with football legend Jimmy Greaves.
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St John – featured in 2014 for Liverpool vs Tottenham with Jimmy Tarbuck at Enfield
Saint and Greavesi operated from 1985 to 1992 and was popular with audiences, and included interviews with non-football legends including Mike Tyson and Chris Eubank.
The couple’s popularity was demonstrated by the fact that they were both made into spitting image puppets.
Once St. and Greasy was finished, St. John stayed to work as a co-commentator and expert.
He also did a show on TalkSport on Sunday with Graham Beecroft in the early 2000s.
Current TalkSport host and fellow compatriot of Scotland, Maclist, paid tribute to St John soon after the news of his death.
“It’s really sad,” the aide said. “This is another piece of your story. I actually worked with Ian when I was a kid, in one of my first studio shows for TV.
“He was a great footballer, almost 100 goals for Liverpool, and he started at Motherwell, which is not far from me.
“I remember Saint and Greavesi, they were the first two former footballers I remember who appeared on television.
“It was absolutely legendary at that time. So this is very sad news.
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