Ian_Durrant

Ian Durrant

Ian Durrant

Scottish professional football coach and former player

Ian Durrant (born 29 October 1966) is a Scottish professional football coach and former player who is currently a first team coach at Kilwinning Rangers.

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During his playing career, Durrant played as a midfielder for Rangers for 13 years and was part of the team that won nine successive league championships to equal a record set by rivals Celtic, although he barely played for three years after suffering a serious knee injury in 1988, having established himself as an important member of the side. He had a loan spell at Everton in 1994, and finished his career with Kilmarnock. Durrant also played for the Scotland national team, gaining 20 caps over a 12-year period.

Playing career

Rangers

Durrant started his career at Rangers. He was Ally McCoist's boot boy when the striker first joined the club from Sunderland in 1983.[3]

Durrant made his debut against Greenock Morton in April 1985.[4] The following season, he was a regular fixture in the Rangers team and scored in his first Old Firm match. He displayed his early promise to a wide audience with his performances alongside fellow young midfielder Derek Ferguson in the Scottish League Cup finals of 1986[5] and 1987 (scoring in both matches and also converting the winning shoot-out penalty in the latter).[6][4]

In October 1988 Durrant (then aged 21) was seriously injured in a challenge by Aberdeen player Neil Simpson which tore the cruciate ligaments in his right knee.[4][7][8] Durrant did not play competitive football for almost three years.[4][8] After one aborted return in early 1990, he made his comeback appearance in a reserve fixture in January 1991 against Hibernian and was welcomed back by around 30,000 fans.[9] His league return was also against Hibs towards the end of that season, and he started the crucial winner-takes-all match against Aberdeen in May 1991 which secured the title for Rangers.[10] In 1993 Durrant sued for damages against Simpson, and settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.[11]

Durrant went on to play a part in the 1992–93 UEFA Champions League run (scoring against Marseille at the Stade Velodrome)[4] and helped Rangers equal Celtic's record of nine successive league championships, the last of which was clinched in 1997. Despite his injury problems he played a total of 346 competitive games for the club, scoring 45 goals,[12] and won six League titles, three Scottish Cups and four League Cups.

Kilmarnock

In 1998, along with Rangers teammate Ally McCoist, Durrant transferred to Kilmarnock. He spent four years at Rugby Park before retiring and becoming coach of the youth team.[13][4] He made 101 appearances for Killie including seven matches in the UEFA Cup, and the 2001 Scottish League Cup Final.[14]

Scotland

Durrant made his international debut on 9 September 1987 against Hungary,[15] eventually winning 20 caps for Scotland. His final match was as a Kilmarnock player, against Republic of Ireland on 30 May 2000.[16]

Coaching career

In 2005, he returned to Rangers as coach of the under-19s and, later, the reserve team.[17][4] Following the resignation of Paul Le Guen as Rangers manager on 4 January 2007, Durrant was caretaker manager until Walter Smith was appointed manager. He immediately reinstated Barry Ferguson – the club captain who had been deposed by Le Guen[18] – but lost his only game in charge of the first team, a Scottish Cup tie at Dunfermline Athletic.[19] Durrant worked as a coach of the Rangers first team under Walter Smith and Ally McCoist.[20][21] After McCoist left the club December 2014, Durrant was demoted to a position with the under-20 team.[21] He left Rangers in June 2016.[22][18]

On 27 January 2017, Durrant was appointed assistant manager to Stephen Aitken at Scottish Championship side Dumbarton,[23] after previous assistant Stephen Farrell took over as manager at Scottish League One club Stranraer.[24] He became joint caretaker manager with Jamie Ewings when Aitken was sacked in October 2018[25] but left the club following Jim Duffy's appointment.[26] He joined Lowland League club East Kilbride in June 2020, again as assistant manager to Aitken. In February 2023, it was announced Durrant is a part of Chris Aitken’s coaching team at West of Scotland Football League Premier Division side Kilwinning Rangers F.C.[27]

Personal life

Durrant was fined £1500 by Rangers in 1987 after his involvement in an incident in a kebab shop after Rangers had won the league championship.[28]

In October 2018, Durrant was filmed shouting "Fuck the Pope" during a Rangers supporters' dinner event in Bothwell attended by former players.[29] He had previously been fined at court in October 1989 for singing sectarian songs and committing a breach of the peace during an incident in Glasgow's Kinning Park in May of that year, while he was out injured (he was in the company of Derek Ferguson who was found not guilty in relation to his involvement).[30]

Honours

Player

Rangers

References

  1. [1]
    "Ian Durrant". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  2. [2]
    "Scotland under-21 player Ian Durrant". Fitbastats.com. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  3. [3]
    "Si Ferry Meets... Ally McCoist" - Open Goal, YouTube, published on 16 April 2018
  4. [4]
    "Hall of fame: Ian Durrant". Rangers F.C. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  5. [5]
    Reynolds, Jim (27 October 1987). "Bad advert for football mars a classic cup final". The Glasgow Herald (scan hosted at 'The Celtic Wiki'). Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  6. [6]
    Reynolds, Jim (26 October 1987). "Spot-on Rangers earn the cheers". The Glasgow Herald. p. 9. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  7. [7]
    "A history of bad blood". BBC Sport. 19 January 2002. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  8. [8]
    "Aberdeen v Rangers: History of rivalry before Sunday's clash". The Scotsman. 7 April 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  9. [9]
    Aberdeen v Rangers: a rivalry inflamed by a terrible tackle, The Guardian, 6 February 2019
  10. [10]
    "Flashback: 1991, Mark Walters and Scott Booth recall their part in Smith's maiden final-day triumph". The Herald. 14 May 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  11. [11]
    "Durrant settles out of court". The Independent. 4 February 1993. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  12. [12]
    "Rangers player Ian Durrant". Fitbastats.com. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  13. [13]
    "Durrant quits over knee injury". BBC Sport. 26 April 2002.
  14. [14]
    "Kilmarnock player Ian Durrant". Fitbastats.com. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  15. [15]
    "Scotland 2-0 Hungary" ScottishFA.co.uk
  16. [16]
    "Republic of Ireland 1-2 Scotland". Scottish FA.
  17. [17]
    "Durrant leaves Killie for Rangers". BBC Sport. 17 February 2005.
  18. [18]
    "Ian Durrant saved my Rangers career, he doesn't deserve to be axed, says Barry Ferguson". Daily Record. 17 June 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  19. [19]
    "Dunfermline 3–2 Rangers". BBC Sport. 7 January 2007.
  20. [20]
    "Ian Durrant backs Rangers' class of 2008". The Daily Telegraph. 23 April 2008.[dead link]
  21. [21]
    "Rangers: Gordon Durie to replace Ian Durrant in backroom team". BBC Sport.
  22. [22]
    Wilson, Richard (9 June 2016). "Rangers: Ian Durrant to leave Ibrox in shake-up of coaching staff". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  23. [23]
    Findlay, Alan (27 January 2017). "New assistant manager". Dumbarton FC. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  24. [24]
    Findlay, Alan (20 January 2017). "Stephen Farrell". Dumbarton FC. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  25. [25]
    Findlay, Alan. "PREVIEW : ARBROATH v DUMBARTON". Dumbarton Football Club. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
  26. [26]
    Galloway, Andy (21 October 2018). "DURRANT LEAVES CLUB". Dumbarton Football Club.
  27. [27]
    FC, East Kilbride. "Stephen Aitken appointed new 1st Team Manager". eastkilbridefootballclub.co.uk. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  28. [28]
    Souness broke off our big title party to fine me pounds 1500; SAYS IAN DURRANT Daily Record, 8 April 1998
  29. [29]
    Neil Cameron (23 October 2018). "Rangers legend Ian Durrant: I meant no offence with my 'f*** the Pope' comment". Evening Times. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  30. [30]
    "Durrant fined #200 after disturbance". The Herald. 3 October 1989. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  31. [31]
    Did not make minimum 10 appearances in 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91 or 1996–97 title wins
  32. [32]
    "Football: Hateley cleans up for Rangers". The Independent. 29 May 1993. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  33. [33]
    Did not play in the 1988, 1990 or 1996 Scottish League Cup finals
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