Ruari Paton Returns to St Johnstone for Long-Term Deal

Ruari Paton is back where he always felt he belonged.

St Johnstone have completed the permanent signing of the forward from Port Vale for an undisclosed fee, tying the 25-year-old to McDiarmid Park on a deal until the summer of 2028.

It is the move both player and club wanted. Paton’s loan spell last season yielded five goals in 13 Championship appearances and, more importantly, a sense that he had found a footballing home in Perth.

“The whole feeling of last season was really special and I loved every minute of that achievement,” he told the club’s media, still riding the glow of a campaign that reshaped his career. He is stepping back into the building not as a loanee this time, but as a long-term investment.

Paton spoke like someone returning to familiar ground rather than changing clubs. “I actually loved every single thing about the club. The place, the people. I always felt happy here and I wanted to come back.”

That happiness showed on the pitch. His sharp movement and clean finishing gave St Johnstone a different edge in the final third, and his numbers in a relatively short spell were enough to convince the hierarchy to move quickly this summer.

For Paton, the emotional pull mattered just as much as the football.

“I never felt like I was on loan,” he said. “I built a connection with the guys on the pitch and never had a bad interaction with anyone off it.”

Those relationships now form the base of his next challenge: proving he can turn an impressive loan into sustained impact in the Premiership. The club have backed him with a four-year commitment. The rest is up to him.

The bond with the stands could be the difference. “I feel I have a great connection with the supporters too and everyone who works in the building. It feels like home.”

Home, now, in every sense. And with St Johnstone preparing for another season in the top flight, Paton returns not as a short-term fix, but as a central figure in what comes next.