Kyle Lafferty Criticizes Handling of Sectarian Comment Incident

Kyle Lafferty, a former striker for Kilmarnock, has stated that he felt “flung under the bus in a way” concerning the management of a sectarian comment he uttered in September 2022. At 37 years old, Lafferty, who was playing for Kilmarnock when the incident occurred, was removed from the Northern Ireland squad and subsequently received a 10-match ban from the Scottish FA. Since then, Lafferty, who boasts a record of 20 goals in 89 international appearances, has not been called up to represent Northern Ireland. While the striker acknowledges that his international career has concluded and admits the sectarian remark was his error, he believes the circumstances surrounding it could have been managed more effectively. In a comprehensive interview with BBC Sport NI, he stated: “I’m not going to sit here and blame anyone else, the words came out of my mouth.” He further commented: “It could have been handled better slightly, maybe. I felt I was flung under the bus in a way.” Lafferty also remarked: “Never getting a call-up since, was it down to that video? I don’t know.”