Last Man Standing : John Sainty, from Saint to Saints and Beyond

The compelling story of former footballer, coach, manager and director John Sainty.

Sainty often operated ‘under the radar’ but was well respected by the game’s senior figures. Schooled as a player in the 1960s at Tottenham, his coaching ability was spotted at Bournemouth by John Bond, whom he followed to Norwich and Manchester City, where his measured approach proved an ideal foil to the brashness of Bond.

In the 1990s, Sainty assisted Danny Bergara and Dave Jones at Stockport before Jones took him to Southampton, where he later became academy director, with the likes of Gareth Bale, Adam Lallana and James Ward-Prowse all passing through his care in their formative years.

John had begun working on his autobiography with football writer Neil Vacher before his sudden death in 2023. Determined to do John’s story justice, Neil brought this labor of love to fruition with the help of John’s former colleagues. It’s the story of a man who dedicated his life to football.