John Reynolds (21 February 1869 – 12 March 1917)[2] was a footballer who played for, among others, West Bromwich Albion, Aston Villa and Celtic.

[3] Although born in Blackburn, Lancashire, Reynolds grew up in Ahoghill in County Antrim, Ireland and attended schools in Portglenone and Ballymena.

[citation needed] In December 1886 he joined the British Army and was posted back to Ireland with the East Lancashire Regiment.

[citation needed] In 1888 he also began playing for Distillery where his teammates included Olphert Stanfield and Billy Crone.

[citation needed] In March 1891, Reynolds joined West Bromwich Albion (WBA) and it was subsequently discovered that he was actually English.

[citation needed] Reynolds also played a further 14 times for Villa in the FA Cup and helped them win the competition in 1895 and 1897.

[5] Although both teams won their respective league titles Reynolds made little or no contribution and his career was in decline, albeit he did score once for Celtic in a 2–1 win over Hibernian.

[citation needed] While playing for WBA and Aston Villa, Reynolds made eight appearances as a half-back for England.

[7] Reynolds was noted as a highly competitive player with some remarkable ball skills and exceptionally brilliant footwork.

[citation needed] Reynolds gained a reputation for drinking and womanising and as a result much of the money he earned disappeared.