‘An honour’ – Declan John sends farewell message to Wanderers fans

Declan John says it was “an honour” to play for Wanderers after his exit from the club was confirmed.

The Welshman is one of three senior players leaving the Toughsheet Community Stadium this summer along with Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and Cameron Jerome.

John joined the Whites in January 2021, initially on loan from Swansea before making the move permanent the following summer.

The 28-year-old helped Ian Evatt’s side earn an unlikely promotion to League Two and then finish ninth in the Third, scoring in a memorable 6-0 win over former club Sunderland.

John made 27 appearances the following campaign, including the 4–0 victory over Plymouth in front of almost 80,000 fans at Wembley as Bolton won the EFL Trophy.

He also featured in the play-off semi-final second leg at Barnsley as the team narrowly missed out on a return to the national stadium, losing 1–0 on the evening.

The full-back spent last season on loan at Salford, playing 33 times as Karl Robinson’s side finished 20th in League Two.

John is grateful for his time at Wanderers and hopes the club enjoys more success in the future.

He wrote on social media: “To everyone at Bolton Wanderers, my time at the club is now over.

“I would like to thank everyone involved with the club, including staff, players and fans, for your support over the past three seasons.

“I loved every minute of my stay at the club! It was an honor to wear this shirt. I wish the club nothing but success for the future. Good luck, DJ.