John Durnin

Durnin's career began with Liverpool in 1986, when he was signed from local non-League side Waterloo Dock for £500. Able to play in midfield or up front, he was a regular in the Liverpool Reserves. Still, he failed to break into the first team, making only two appearances, both in the League Cup. In October 1988 he was loaned out to West Bromwich Albion, as one of Brian Talbot's first signings at The Hawthorns. He scored twice in five Second Division appearances before returning to Anfield. He moved to Oxford United in February 1989, after manager Brian Horton paid a fee of £225,000. The "Yellows" finished 17th in the Second Division in 1988–89 and 1989–90, with Durnin finishing as the club's top scorer in the latter campaign with 15 goals. They rose to 10th in 1990–91, only to plummet to one place and two points above the relegation zone in 1991–92. They rose to 14th in 1992–93. Durnin spent four and a half years at the Manor Ground, amassing 47 goals in 180 league and cup appearances, becoming a cult hero amongst the fans, who affectionately gave him the nickname "Johnny Lager". Durnin was snapped up by Portsmouth for £200,000 in July 1993, with the manager Jim Smith looking to play up him front alongside Paul Walsh. The club finished 17th in the First Division in 1993–94 and 18th in 1994–95. He hit three goals in 1995–96, as "Pompey" avoided the drop after finishing one place ahead of relegated Millwall on goal difference. He scored three times in 35 games in 1996–97, as…

In July 2006, he joined the coaching staff of Southport, but left in October. He returned to Southport as first-team coach on a non-contract basis in May 2017, before this arrangement was ended three months later.

After retiring, he became a regular for the Liverpool Masters team. In 2019 he was convicted of common assault, impersonating a police officer and a racially-aggravated common assault after two incidents in August 2018 – in mitigation, he claimed to have been 'emotionally unstable' after discovering his wife of three decades had cheated on him; he had another previous conviction for common assault after a road rage incident in 2015.