Possibly the best player never to play for England, the quiet and unassuming Wells seemed to be the kind of person for whom the term 'unsung hero' was coined. John wore the letter F on his shirt in a formidable Tigers back row in the early to mid nineties that included Neil Back and Dean Richards, and although he was often upstaged by internationals Back and Richards, the back row was never the same on the rare occasions he was unable to play. What you got from Wells was unparallelled commitment and pure graft.
Wells' career highlight came in 1993 at the end of a year in which he was appointed first team captain when Tigers clinched the Pilkington Cup at Twickenham. John's beaming smile as he lifted the cup at Twickenham remains one of the most endearing images that can be seen in the Welford Road club house today.
After retiring from playing, John immediately became assistant to Dean Richards when Deano was promoted to Director of Rugby after Bob Dwyer's departure. John then won critical acclaim for his coaching ability, and was widely regarded to have been a major factor behind the glory years of the late nineties and early 00s when Tigers achieved unparalleled success. When Deano left the club, Wells was immediately installed as the top man in a caretaker capacity, although initially ruling himself out of the job. However, Wells managed to turn Leicester's season around and an incredible unbeaten tun lead to Tigers securing a Heineken Cup spot via the Wildcard against all odds. By this time, Wells had been convinced to take the role on in a permanent capacity.
John's first full season in charge saw a revitalised Tigers comfortably clinch top spot in the Premiership, along with finishing as semi finalists in the Heineken Cup. Unfortunately, this blessed new play off system meant that defeat to Wasps at Twickenham left Tigers empty handed after what had been an encouraging season. John left the club at the end of that season to accept a role with the RFU, and is now part of the senior England set up. He is widely regarded as a probable future England head coach, which would be just recognition for one of the games nice guys.
A true clubman who was given a very deserved send off on the occasion of his last game at Welford Road.
Players Who Shook the Crumbie #46: John Wells
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