Following his move to ST Johnstone, Paton's current-season form is level with last season (Season 8→8), while his Rating held around 35. His peak season for form remains 2025/26 (Season 8).

Domestic career

Season	Club	Apps	G	A	Match	RTG	Season
2026/27	ST Johnstone · 6th	2	0	0	6.45	35	8
2025/26	Port Vale · 22nd	13	1	3	6.67	35	8
2024/25	Port Vale · 2nd	19	1	1	6.73	31	5
2024/25	Dundee Utd · 4th	12	0	0	6.53	40	0
2023/24	Queen's Park	36	17	0	—	—	—
2022/23	Queen of the South	36	22	0	—	—	—

Domestic-league totals per season. RTG = Field Insider Rating (potential / ceiling); Season = age-blind form that year. 4 earlier seasons in the full career.

Scout report

Squad depthCreative Central midfielder

R. Paton is a 26-year-old central midfielder at Port Vale, rated 36 overall by Field Insider's model. In his prime years, he has been a fringe squad member this season (16.3% of available minutes). Below: strengths, watch-points, market-value outlook and the latest transfer news on Paton.

On the season, Paton graded 9 for current form (age-blind), on 1 goal, 3 assists and 0.935 defensive actions per 90.

Year-on-year, that's broadly in line with last season (Season 8 → 8). Over the 3 seasons on record his form has trended upward, peaking in 2025/26.

On long-term talent our Rating reads 36. At 26 Paton is in his prime years, and a market index of 8 reflects that trajectory.

From the career report

Read the full career report →

Paton is operating at his career peak — the 2025/26 level is the level.

Peak: 2025/26Holding levelStepped up 2025/26

Ratingi

developing / rotation level

9.1

Seasoni

below regular-starter level

16.3%

Minutes

limited game time

0.94

Def. actions / 90

light defensive volume

Output in context · Port Vale finished 22nd of 24 · a relegation-threatened side

Apps

0.94

Def. / 90

Tackles

Interceptions

Clean sheets

0.94 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90 — light defensive volume, with 2 clean sheets across 13 appearances. Doing that for a relegation-threatened side (22nd of 24) is harder than the bare numbers suggest: a back line under more pressure has to defend more often and protects fewer leads, so the volume — and any clean sheets — carry real weight. Going forward he chipped in 1 goal and 3 assists — a useful bonus from the back.

Strengths

Attacking threat. Chips in from deep: 0.54 goal involvements per 90, useful for a central midfielder.
Creativity. 0.4 assists per 90 — a genuine creative outlet.

Watch points

Game time. Only 16.3% of available minutes — needs a settled run to prove the level.
Level. Rates below a nailed-on top-tier starter on our model.

Outlook

Rated 36 overall — developing / rotation level. Defensively he reads as light defensive volume (0.94 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90), with a bit more on the ball than most in the role. In the prime window — at or near peak market value, so the next two seasons are the ones to cash in or build around.

Generated from Field Insider's rating model · AI-written analysis to follow.

Per 90 & availability

Minutes played %16.3%

Available fixtures46 of 46

Goals / 900.134

Assists / 900.401

Goal contribution / 900.534

Defensive actions / 900.935

Player flow

Goal involvements4

Cards / 900.267

Season-by-season progression

Rating (potential)Season (form)

Value & potential by age

Market valueRating

Solid = now · dashed = projected

The gold line is market value — an index (not €) blending rating, age and league. It climbs through the early 20s, peaks around ages 23–27 (~8), then tapers with age. At 26, Paton sits on 8, at or near its peak. The blue line is Paton's projected Rating — 36 today — recomputed at each age, so it follows the same rise-and-fall as a career matures and declines. Solid = up to today; dashed = projected.

Season statistics

Bars = where he ranks among central midfielders in the Premiership with 600+ minutes this season.

Shooting

Goals1

Passing

Assists3

Defending

Tackles5

Interceptions1

Blocks1

Yellow/red cards

Yellow cards2

Red cards0

About R. Paton

Ruari Paton is a 26-year-old central midfielder who plays for ST Johnstone, born on August 9, 2000 in Dublin, standing 177 cm tall. He is from Republic of Ireland.

This season

In the current season, R. Paton has made 2 appearances with 0 goals and 0 assists across 151 minutes, averaging a 6.45 match rating over his last 2 rated games.

Recent matches

August 8, 2026: 0-1 loss away at ST Mirren (90 minutes, 6.3 rating)
August 2, 2026: 4-3 win at home vs Kilmarnock (61 minutes, 6.6 rating)

Field Insider's view

Field Insider currently rates R. Paton at 36 with a Season form score of 9.1. See the full scout report for strengths, watch-points and the market-value outlook.

His honours include 2 career titles — among them the FA Youth Cup. Full list in the career record.

Career

Across 9 recorded seasons, R. Paton has totalled 179 club appearances with 51 goals and 4 assists for 8 different clubs. His busiest campaign came in 2022/23, with 36 appearances for Queen of the South.

Transfer news

No transfer news found for this player.