Swansea City raised eyebrows when they signed ex-Cardiff City player - it proved a bizarre move | OneFootball

Swansea City signed ex-Cardiff City defender Declan John in the summer of 2018, a move which ultimately benefited neither party

The South Wales Derby has long been considered one of the biggest rivalries in British football, and players crossing the divide has become a rare occurrence in recent years due to the ferocious nature of the derby.

While the likes of John Toshack and Alan Curtis are well thought of at both clubs, swapping Swansea for Cardiff or vice versa is seen as unforgivable in this day and age, particularly for a homegrown player who has come up through the academy ranks and understands how big the rivalry is.

However, that is what Declan John did in the summer of 2018, albeit via Scottish giants Rangers, in a move that raised the eyebrows of supporters at both clubs, and, unsurprisingly, it was a transfer that won't be remembered fondly by Swansea City supporters.

Swansea City signing Declan John was a bizarre move

The summer of 2018 was a time of upheaval for Swansea City as they returned to the second tier of English football for the first time in seven years after relegation from the Premier League.

The majority of clubs relegated from the Premier League will lose a couple of key players deemed too good for the Championship, but Swansea saw 16 first-team players depart over the course of the 2018/19 campaign, along with players returning to their parent clubs after loan spells.

This left them seriously short of bodies and without much money to replace them, leaving them reliant on their academy and making the most of minimal financial resource.

However, it was still a surprise to see Swansea move for John, signing the left-back on a three-year deal from Rangers for an undisclosed fee.

Merthyr-born John had come through the academy ranks at Cardiff, making 52 appearances for the Bluebirds, a club where he was seen as one of their own, before joining Rangers in 2017.

Just 12 months after leaving Cardiff, John was back in South Wales, albeit with Swansea, a move which didn't go down particularly well with either set of supporters.

Unsurprisingly, John's time at Swansea proved less than successful, and despite being contracted to the club for three years, he made just 18 appearances in total, just seven of those being Championship starts, and spent time on loan at Sunderland and Bolton Wanderers respectively.

The seven-cap Wales international defender was released upon the expiry of his contract in 2021, joining the Trotters on a permanent basis and bringing down the curtain on what was a forgettable, yet somewhat controversial spell at the Swansea.com Stadium.

Declan John has enjoyed mixed fortunes since leaving South Wales

After moving to Bolton on a permanent basis in 2021, John spent three years at The Toughsheet Community Stadium with a loan spell at Salford City thrown in, before leaving English football in 2024 when he joined St Mirren.

With his career in English football going backwards, the move to Scotland came at the right time for John, and after a tough start to life in the Scottish Premiership, the 30-year-old has thrived in Paisley.

John has become a regular starter for the Scottish top-flight outfit, and was part of the side that recently defeated Motherwell 4-1 in the Scottish League Cup semi-final to set up a meeting with Celtic in next month's final, with John registering an assist in his side's comfortable victory.

As someone who was playing international and Premier League football as a teenager, it might be fair to say that John hasn't lived up to his potential, but the move to Scotland has given his career a new lease of life.

However, the Welshman won't be remembered fondly by the Jack Army, and his 2018 move to the Swansea.com Stadium remains one of the Swans' strangest signings of recent times.