Memories? John Sutton has a Ton of them

It is bold move for the Englishman to leave St Mirren for the their rivals, having enjoyed two separate spells with the Paisley side and won two league titles. But, as he prepares for life away from the pitch, he is confident Morton will prove the perfect place to cut his teeth in coaching.

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“Obviously I know all about the rivalry, but it is just one of those things. There were plenty of other jobs I could have done,” Sutton remarked when asked about the surprise switch.

“But, talking to the people at Morton, it just felt right. I liked the setup, the warmth I got from the people at the club and I am looking forward to getting started.

“I am a rookie, but throughout my career I have always been taking mental notes about how I would like to be as a coach and as a manager. Hopefully I can help the young boys out there to become better players.”

In a career that began in the North London with Tottenham and took to him to the likes of Millwall, Wycombe Wanderers and Central Coast Mariners in Australia’s A-League, where he recalls celebrating in front of 15 fans when the side clinched the title in New Zealand, he admits that he looks back on his time in Scotland most fondly.

He continued: “I was very lucky to play for some really good teams with some really good people and the first time in Scotland at Raith was a magical time. It was my first time really playing first team football as I’d only played a handful of games before.

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“However, the thing that probably turned me around and saved my career was my first time at St Mirren. I came in a bit battered after my spells at Millwall and then Dundee and at St Mirren, we were a good group of young players who weren’t fancied much. But, with the help of coaches like Andy Millen, we ended up having a really good season and won promotion.”

Spells at Motherwell and Hearts followed, with Sutton adamant his time at Fir Park proved to be one of the greatest learning experiences in his long career.

Typically tipped for relegation, the club’s backs-to-the-wall mentality and unity among the players defied the odds to produce season after season of European football where the likes of Romanian giants Steaua Bucharest were welcomed to North Lanarkshire.

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“At the end of the day, it is about the 11 players you put out on the pitch and how they perform. Not the facilities or the number of fans in the stadium,” he added.

Although there were plenty of lows, with St Johnstone and Wycombe proving especially difficult, the return to Paisley and the Jack Ross revolution proved to be the ultimate high with which to end.

Now, as he steps into his new role with Morton, it will be his job to inspire and coach through the next generation of talent.

Looking ahead to his new challenge, he said: “I just want to help the 
team and the players be the best they possibly can be. The word philosophy gets branded about in football a lot, but I think it is over-emphasised.

“Everyone says the same thing and sets out with the same goals; to play free-flowing football and dominate possession. But, do the players have that ability, or can you coach that ability out of them? It’s my job to try and give all the young players the best chance that I can.”

But, in a week where young managerial appointments have dominated the talk of Scottish football, how long before we see Sutton taking his place in a first team dugout?

“I think the mistake I made when I was a little bit younger was trying to look too far ahead. That’s why now I am not thinking of anything other than doing well this season with Morton and enjoying the job.

“If you do well in football, the rewards will come your way and if you don’t you’ll be out of a job, so that’s why I need to focus on doing the best that I can.”