It was fitting that his final appearance in claret and amber ended with Sutton scoring from the spot in the dying seconds of our 6-1 play-off win against Rangers. He celebrated with the rest of us as our Premiership survival was ensured but he played a leading role in the teams that finished the previous season in the runner-up spot.
His contract was at an end and although the club made him an offer the 31 year old has elected to move to Perth for a new challenge. He became a regular on the bench when Baraclough settled on the combination of McDonald and Erwin to lead our line for the last few months of the campaign.
Mark McGhee signed the striker at the start of the 2008/9 season and he immediately became a fans’ favourite as he became a regular scorer. He left for Hearts following our 2011 Cup Final appearance but the well documented decline of the Tynecastle side led to a loan spell in Australia before be rejoined Motherwell in the summer of 2013. Stuart McCall saw him as an ideal replacement for Higdon.
Among the many goals he delivered none delivered more joy that the late, late winner at Pittodrie in the final game of 2013/14. That goal, set up by his challenge on the 'keeper and finished off by Reid, moved Motherwell above much fancied Aberdeen and secured a second consecutive second place in the league. The joyous party that followed in the away end will be long remembered.
McCall’s departure at the end of October 2014 led to the appointment of Baraclough with the mission of preventing relegation. His solution involved a revamping of the team in the winter window and Big John had to take a back seat. Despite that his commitment and professionalism were evident to all and he could not have ended his time with us in a better way than to score that final goal at the end of May.
All the best John, and thanks for the memories.