Ruari Paton Returns to St Johnstone on Permanent Deal

St Johnstone have brought Ruari Paton back to Perth on a permanent deal, completing a move that always felt more like a reunion than a transfer.

The 25-year-old forward returns from Port Vale after the English club accepted an undisclosed fee, with Paton signing a contract at McDiarmid Park until the summer of 2028. It is a long-term commitment from both player and club, shaped by a loan spell that turned into something far deeper.

Paton struck five goals in 13 Championship appearances last season, but the numbers only tell part of the story. He arrived as a loanee and left as a fans’ favourite, his energy and eye for goal helping to spark a survival push that reshaped the mood around the club.

The connection clearly ran both ways.

“The whole feeling of last season was really special and I loved every minute of that achievement,” Paton told the club’s media as he looked ahead to life in the Premiership. He spoke like someone who had never really left.

“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 sense of belonging drove the deal. Paton admitted he never truly felt like a temporary addition.

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

Supporters saw it in his celebrations, his work-rate, his willingness to chase lost causes in the closing weeks of the campaign. He felt it from the stands.

“I feel I have a great connection with the supporters too and everyone who works in the building. It feels like home.”

For St Johnstone, securing that kind of buy-in from a key attacking player, on a contract through 2028, is more than just another signing. It is a statement that the spirit of last season was not a one-off surge, but a foundation to build on in the Premiership.