' The Rise / Fall & Rise Again of Declan John "
Fri Mar 16, 2018 3:23 pm
Brilliant to hear, Always had Faith in Declan John 
The rise, fall and rise again of Glasgow Rangers ace and former Cardiff City fans' favourite Declan John -
Friday 16th March 2018
Amidst Aaron Ramsey's omission, five uncapped players and the announcement of a Ryan Giggs backroom team with strong Manchester United connections, Declan John's recall by Wales went somewhat under the radar.
But the former Cardiff City favourite, deemed good enough for the Premier League by Malky Mackay but not for the Championship by Russell Slade, has returned to the kind of form which saw him emerge as one of the bright hopes of Welsh football.
John hasn't featured for his country since appearing as a second-half substitute for Hal Robson-Kanu in a 2-0 friendly loss to the Netherlands. That was one of two caps he won in his breakthrough season, which was the Bluebirds' solitary year in the top flight.
To put that in perspective, in that match-day team versus the Dutch were Danny Gabbidon and Lewin Nyatanga, two other defenders who haven't appeared for Wales since.
Unlike them, John was expected to kick on and challenge Neil Taylor for the Wales left-back starting spot at Euro 2016.
Declan John is back with Wales
Instead, he barely featured for the Bluebirds afterwards, was loaned out to Chesterfield and Barnsley and it took a move into the Scottish Premiership with Rangers to revive such a promising career.
Still only 22, and with time on his side, John has earned rave reviews from fans and pundits for his form north of the border.
It has been instantly recognised by Giggs who will take a look at the Merthyr youngster at some point in the China Cup matches against the host nation and one of Uruguay or the Czech Republic.
John expressed his delight at his Wales recall and admits it was always on his radar when he left Cardiff to kick-start his career with Rangers.
"If I'm up here and playing well it's certainly going to put me in good stead in terms of getting back into the national team," he said upon his move away from the Bluebirds.
"It's been a tough few years (with Cardiff). I think it's been the change of managers more than anything that has caused that. But like I said I just want to come up here and do well."
He has done that to such an extent that many Rangers followers want John retained in the left-back position even though club skipper and Ibrox fans' favourite Lee Wallace has returned from injury.
John's early career was a real roller-coaster ride. At 18 he was handed his league debut by Malky Mackay in the Bluebirds' historic Premier clash away to West Ham. Through that campaign the teenager kept his place, featuring in the big matches against Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs and winning those two Welsh caps.
Cardiff fans love seeing one of their own come through. Declan was one of the very few at the time and received staunch support.
But although he started the following season under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, it quickly became clear Slade wasn't a fan and preferred Scott Malone for the Bluebirds' left-back berth.
Loan spells in the wilderness saw John out of sight, out of mind for Wales honours, but the switch to Rangers, one of the giants of the British game, has changed that.
Neil Taylor isn't ready to be put out to pasture yet, while Ben Davies obviously plays somewhere in the backline for Wales.
But John is ready to put on the pressure as he pushes again for Wales four years after his last appearance.
There were previously question marks about his defensive qualities, which are said to have improved up at Rangers. But no-one doubts the energy, athleticism and creative ability the swashbuckling John brings down the left flank.
He has the perfect mentor for that role in Giggs, who John reveals was his football idol.
"I supported Manchester United as a youngster. Watching Ryan play, I'd try to copy him in certain ways, try to get the ball like him and go past three or four players at a time. That was something I wanted to do," he told The Herald in Scotland.
"For a person who played until he was 40 and had the career he had at United is incredible. I was excited by the appointment. For Wales to have someone like him coming in is good for us.”
John used to play as a more forward orientated player like Giggs on the left wing, saying the only reason he "dropped into left back at that point was because the manager (Mackay) had nobody else to play there.
“I think I could play on the wing, whether that is the left side or the right side, and I used to play in the hole as well," he said.
"If you look at the football a lot of teams play today, it is almost like the full back is a winger because they start so high up the pitch and you have two wingers up the pitch."
That is something Giggs might look at with Wales, with perhaps Davies as left-back and John further forward.
Whatever, the former Cardiff fans' favourite is just happy to be back in the mix again.
The rise, fall and rise again of Glasgow Rangers ace and former Cardiff City fans' favourite Declan John -
Friday 16th March 2018
Amidst Aaron Ramsey's omission, five uncapped players and the announcement of a Ryan Giggs backroom team with strong Manchester United connections, Declan John's recall by Wales went somewhat under the radar.
But the former Cardiff City favourite, deemed good enough for the Premier League by Malky Mackay but not for the Championship by Russell Slade, has returned to the kind of form which saw him emerge as one of the bright hopes of Welsh football.
John hasn't featured for his country since appearing as a second-half substitute for Hal Robson-Kanu in a 2-0 friendly loss to the Netherlands. That was one of two caps he won in his breakthrough season, which was the Bluebirds' solitary year in the top flight.
To put that in perspective, in that match-day team versus the Dutch were Danny Gabbidon and Lewin Nyatanga, two other defenders who haven't appeared for Wales since.
Unlike them, John was expected to kick on and challenge Neil Taylor for the Wales left-back starting spot at Euro 2016.
Declan John is back with Wales
Instead, he barely featured for the Bluebirds afterwards, was loaned out to Chesterfield and Barnsley and it took a move into the Scottish Premiership with Rangers to revive such a promising career.
Still only 22, and with time on his side, John has earned rave reviews from fans and pundits for his form north of the border.
It has been instantly recognised by Giggs who will take a look at the Merthyr youngster at some point in the China Cup matches against the host nation and one of Uruguay or the Czech Republic.
John expressed his delight at his Wales recall and admits it was always on his radar when he left Cardiff to kick-start his career with Rangers.
"If I'm up here and playing well it's certainly going to put me in good stead in terms of getting back into the national team," he said upon his move away from the Bluebirds.
"It's been a tough few years (with Cardiff). I think it's been the change of managers more than anything that has caused that. But like I said I just want to come up here and do well."
He has done that to such an extent that many Rangers followers want John retained in the left-back position even though club skipper and Ibrox fans' favourite Lee Wallace has returned from injury.
John's early career was a real roller-coaster ride. At 18 he was handed his league debut by Malky Mackay in the Bluebirds' historic Premier clash away to West Ham. Through that campaign the teenager kept his place, featuring in the big matches against Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs and winning those two Welsh caps.
Cardiff fans love seeing one of their own come through. Declan was one of the very few at the time and received staunch support.
But although he started the following season under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, it quickly became clear Slade wasn't a fan and preferred Scott Malone for the Bluebirds' left-back berth.
Loan spells in the wilderness saw John out of sight, out of mind for Wales honours, but the switch to Rangers, one of the giants of the British game, has changed that.
Neil Taylor isn't ready to be put out to pasture yet, while Ben Davies obviously plays somewhere in the backline for Wales.
But John is ready to put on the pressure as he pushes again for Wales four years after his last appearance.
There were previously question marks about his defensive qualities, which are said to have improved up at Rangers. But no-one doubts the energy, athleticism and creative ability the swashbuckling John brings down the left flank.
He has the perfect mentor for that role in Giggs, who John reveals was his football idol.
"I supported Manchester United as a youngster. Watching Ryan play, I'd try to copy him in certain ways, try to get the ball like him and go past three or four players at a time. That was something I wanted to do," he told The Herald in Scotland.
"For a person who played until he was 40 and had the career he had at United is incredible. I was excited by the appointment. For Wales to have someone like him coming in is good for us.”
John used to play as a more forward orientated player like Giggs on the left wing, saying the only reason he "dropped into left back at that point was because the manager (Mackay) had nobody else to play there.
“I think I could play on the wing, whether that is the left side or the right side, and I used to play in the hole as well," he said.
"If you look at the football a lot of teams play today, it is almost like the full back is a winger because they start so high up the pitch and you have two wingers up the pitch."
That is something Giggs might look at with Wales, with perhaps Davies as left-back and John further forward.
Whatever, the former Cardiff fans' favourite is just happy to be back in the mix again.
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Re: ' The Rise / Fall & Rise Again of Declan John "
Fri Mar 16, 2018 4:17 pm
Good luck to him and hope he is able to establish himself again. It really shows how he was dropped in at the deep end if he is still only 22 ! No wonder he got caught out a few times in the Prem. Seem to recall that he was brought back into favour by Trollope but Warnock didn't rate him or at least felt he needed to move to reignite his career.
Re: ' The Rise / Fall & Rise Again of Declan John "
Fri Mar 16, 2018 4:23 pm
Only time will tell how good he's become as he's currently playing in a pub league.
I've watched Rangers a few times this season ( on TV ) and he has been one of the better players on the pitch in all fairness.
I'm glad he's been picked for wales and good luck to him 
I've watched Rangers a few times this season ( on TV ) and he has been one of the better players on the pitch in all fairness.
I'm glad he's been picked for wales and good luck to him
Re: ' The Rise / Fall & Rise Again of Declan John "
Fri Mar 16, 2018 4:33 pm
He’s fallen on his feet there. But the standard of the Scottish Premier is poor with most teams, including Rangers, little more than League 1 standard. Sadly, that’s Declan’s level, and Wales have to pick League 1 level players because we have so few to choose from.
Re: ' The Rise / Fall & Rise Again of Declan John "
Fri Mar 16, 2018 4:48 pm
Hope he does well, he is a decent wingback if he can find a decent club who plays that way.
Still yet to prove himself in this league.
Still yet to prove himself in this league.
Re: ' The Rise / Fall & Rise Again of Declan John "
Sat Mar 17, 2018 2:45 am
Great opporutunuty to prove his doubters wrong lot of bad luck but stayed focused good on him
Re: ' The Rise / Fall & Rise Again of Declan John "
Sat Mar 17, 2018 2:00 pm
Ive seen a few games when Gers have been on Tv and sadly to say John is ok going forward but defensively he's woeful,gets bullied off the ball easily is is too short to defend balls in the box,i think giggs still thinks Gers are a force and has chosen on past glories
Re: ' The Rise / Fall & Rise Again of Declan John "
Sat Mar 17, 2018 10:09 pm
Good Luck To The Lad .
Re: ' The Rise / Fall & Rise Again of Declan John "
Sat Mar 17, 2018 11:13 pm
He was sh@t for us and couldn't defend for toffee.Up north the standard is so poor even Sinclair is rated highly up there.Amazed Wales picked him.
Re: ' The Rise / Fall & Rise Again of Declan John "
Sun Mar 18, 2018 12:09 am
Tarkimicallefslovechild wrote:He was sh@t for us and couldn't defend for toffee.Up north the standard is so poor even Sinclair is rated highly up there.Amazed Wales picked him.
I don't think anyone disagrees he wasn't up to it for us, but good luck to the lad with Wales.