Stern John joins Southampton FC.
By: James Morley (Southampton FC).
Saints have traded one Trinidad and Tobago striker for another with Kenwyne Jones joining Sunderland in a move. Jones compatriot and proven goal-scorer Stern John also makes the move to St. Mary's and he's of course no stranger to red and white stripes.
The powerful centre forward was an ever-present for his country in last summer's World Cup and is the all time leading goal-scorer for the Caribbean nation.
Following a successful spell in Major League Soccer with Columbus Crew he made a switch to Nottingham Forest in the 1999/2000 season. Since then he has gained a wealth of experience at a number of English clubs, including Birmingham City, Derby County and Coventry.
John has already netted in the Premier League this season, scoring a last minute equalizer against fellow new boys, Birmingham. He also played against Saints last season for Coventry before making the move to Sunderland in January.
The Black Cats have already been splashing the cash over the summer in a bid to sure up their new found top-flight status. Most notable amongst them has been the capture of Hearts keeper Craig Gordon and the transfer of Cardiff City Michael Chopra.
Sunderland manager Roy Keane has also earmarked Saints want-away frontman, Kenwyne Jones as the man to keep the Mackems dreams alive.
Jones surprised many Saints fans by not only handing in a written transfer request, but also refusing to play in last Saturday's home game against Stoke. That decision signalled the end of his Saints career.
With just two days to go before the transfer window slams shut, Saints boss George Burley has moved fast to complete the deal. He firmly believes that Saints have done an extremely good bit of business.
I was sorry to see Kenwyne go, but the player made it clear that he didn't want to stay here, and Sunderland came in with a very good offer.
Stern John is an excellent player and a great addition to the squad. His acquisition softens the blow of Kenwyne departure. He's very experienced both as an international and at Championship level and will add to our already potent forward line.