John Swift

John Swift scored a hat-trick for Reading against Queens Park Rangers in September 2021. Portsmouth is where he was born, and in July 2025 he came back to sign for his home-town club on a free transfer, on a contract that runs until 30 June 2027.

He made his first-team debut at Chelsea in 2014. He spent that period out on loan, first at Rotherham United, then Swindon Town, then Brentford across 2015 and 2016. He joined Reading in July 2016. He was under 24, so a tribunal set the compensation Chelsea received. He stayed at Reading until 2022.

That spell ended with a move to West Bromwich Albion, again on a free transfer. Over three years he played 118 league games and scored 18 goals. His contract expired in 2025 and West Brom did not offer a new one, citing inconsistent performances.

He won 10 caps at Under-17 level and was part of the sides that won the FA International Tournament in 2011 and the Algarve Tournament in 2012. At Under-20 level he won the Four Nation Tournament in 2014. His longest run came with the Under-21s, for whom he made 13 appearances and scored once. That group won the Toulon Tournament in 2016, and he took part in the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. He has not been called up to the senior England squad.