The Scotland hero was at times reduced to tears by the pain of the injury sustained during a match in 1982 when playing for Glasgow Academicals in Jordanhill.
“One guy ran one way and I tried to challenge and go the other way,” he recalled. “It felt like being shot.
“As it was my first game back after injury, I kept quiet I couldn’t face another spell out of the game.”
Now battling back to full fitness after his recent op, the 57-year-old Radio Scotland presenter told The Sunday Post his biggest regret is not seeking medical help sooner, as he’s missing out on the station’s General Election coverage.
“I thought I could put it off a bit,” said the former British Lion, “because I wanted to be on air during the election.
“But my surgeon said it would only get worse.
John, who won 25 Scotland caps and was a key member of the ’80s side that included Gavin Hastings, John Jeffries and David Leslie, had hip resurfacing surgery, where the bone in the hip joint is sheared away and replaced by metal.
He made his international debut in 1980 but later sustained a shattered kneecap which became infected after surgery, which put him off having any further ops.
Then he injured his hip during his first game back, in 1982.
“It felt like being shot,” he said. “But our generation just got up and got on with it.
“I remember thinking, ‘If I tell anyone, I might have to stop playing’. I didn’t want to do that.”
Incredibly, he continued to play through the pain at the top level for five years, even though there were times his hip would give way during a match.
“It was like someone putting a screwdriver into my joint and giving it a good tweak until hitting the nerve,” he said.
John, father to current Scotland player Johnny, uses crutches and has a special chair to help his recovery.
“If I could turn back the clock, I would still keep quiet,” he admits. “I played for five years at international level after the injury I wouldn’t have put that in jeopardy for anything.”
Although the average age for a hip operation is 67, surgery is also being performed on younger people.
Our NHS expert said: “We’re more likely to see it in people like former sportsman as sport causes wear and tear.
“But the health benefits of playing sport means people should stick with it, rather than quitting over the fear they might one day need an op.”
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