Born on this day in Tunapuna, Trinidad, is former SAFC striker and promotion winner Stern John.
With David Connolly and Daryl Murphy up front, manager Roy Keane believed that the one thing we needed to get promoted in 2007 was a bit of power up front: “We’ve lacked a bit of physical presence, especially since the departure of Chris Brown to Norwich City. And Stern John would give us that extra option again. He’s a big, strong, powerful guy and while you don’t want to say too much before a deal is done and dusted, I think he’s a player who will be a real benefit to the squad.”
The Trinidad and Tobago international joined his fellow countrymen Carlos Edwards and Dwight Yorke at the Stadium of Light, arriving in January from Coventry City. He was our sixth signing of that famous 2006/07 January transfer window. Ironically, John fell out of favour at Coventry following their signing for former Sunderland man Kevin Kyle earlier that season.
The target man was often used as an impact sub, coming on to add physicality and presence late in games. His first goals came as a late double in our 4-0 win over Southend, although his most important moment in red and white was a last-minute equaliser against Birmingham to make it 2-2. Against his former club Birmingham, John pounced on a rebound and finished into an empty net - with Roy O’Donovan controversially holding Blues’ keeper Colin Doyle to the ground. In this era of VAR, it probably wouldn't have stood.
That game (our second Premier League game of the season) was actually his last game for SAFC before joining Southampton in a move that brought his countryman Kenwyne Jones to the Stadium of Light.
Stern John only played 16 times for Sunderland, but Roy Keane believes he was a huge part of our promotion from the Championship. Having scored five goals for the Black Cats, John would pop up at crucial times, giving the team a last-minute boost from the bench so many times during his short spell at Sunderland.
After playing for the Saints, Crystal Palace, Ipswich Town, a couple of clubs in Trinidad and Tobago and also Solihull Moors, John announced his retirement in 2014. However, in 2017 he briefly returned to playing to become player-coach at Central FC in his home country until 2018 when he became their full time manager. In 2020, he made a switch to become the manager of the Anguilla national team and then in 2022 he was appointed manager of Saint Lucia, where he remains to this day.
