The Saint who became a Liverpool icon and television pundit

There was a lovely piece of graffiti that appeared on a church poster in Liverpool in the 1960s which posed the question: “What would you do if Jesus returned amongst us?” Underneath someone had scrawled: “Move St John to inside left.”

The St John in question was of course Ian, a Scottish centre-forward who played a prominent role in Liverpool’s dominance in English football in the 1960s.

St John sadly died on Monday at the age of 82 and will be fondly remembered by anyone who saw him.

He was also one of the first footballers to make a successful transition from football to television punditry, co-hosting the popular Saint & Greavsie show on ITV from 1985-92 with St John the perfect foil for Jimmy Greaves’ quips.

Many tributes have poured in from fans and players alike.

The club itself called him “a true Anfield legend” while Steven Gerrard said he was “an iconic…