St Mirren have appointed former Celtic recruitment figure John Park as their new head of recruitment.

Park brings a wealth of experience and a strong track record in identifying talent, having played a key role at Celtic during one of their most successful recruitment periods in recent history. Appointed as Football Development Manager at Celtic in January 2007, he would go on to serve as a scout for the club from until 2016.

St Mirren FC is delighted to announce the appointment of John Park as our new Head of Recruitment and Emerging Talent with Martin Foyle leaving the club to join Carlisle United.

We thank Martin for his service and wish him the best of luck in his new role.

— St Mirren FC (@saintmirrenfc) June 18, 2025

During his time at Parkhead, Park was credited with helping to secure the signings of players who would go on to command substantial fees and make a major impact in Europe’s top leagues. Among his most notable successes were the acquisitions of Virgil van Dijk, Victor Wanyama and Moussa Dembélé. All three were brought to Celtic under Park’s watch and later sold for significant profit.

Prior to his Celtic tenure, Park was Head of Youth Development at Hibernian, where he was instrumental in developing first-team talent from the youth ranks. His eye for potential at a young age helped shape Hibs’ reputation for producing top Scottish players during the early 2000s.

Now, Park takes on the task of improving St Mirren’s recruitment setup as they aim to build on a solid foundation under Stephen Robinson. With tighter budgets, Park’s knack for uncovering undervalued talent could be vital as the Paisley club look to continue punching above their weight in the Premiership.