'Stupid' Kyle Lafferty admission cost him Rangers career under Steven Gerrard
Yesterday at 06:30 AM
Not many professional footballers get the chance to sign for their boyhood club, especially when that boyhood club is Rangers.
It is even rarer to live out the dream of scoring in big European games or the goals that bring the league title back to Ibrox.
Kyle Lafferty did get to live that dream, however, he ruined it for himself as the former Rangers striker explains in an interview with BBC Sport Northern Ireland.
Kyle Lafferty opens up on regrets after second Rangers chance
Lafferty didn't just get one chance to play for Rangers, when Steven Gerrard offered the 89 cap forward another shot at glory, it was too good to turn down.
A double on his debut suggested that he had made the right decision, but aside from a goal against Villareal, it never got much better.
Speaking to BBC Sport Northern Ireland, the now Johnstone Burgh striker in Scotland’s sixth tier has opened up on the regrets in his career with a fascinating insight into how it all went wrong:
“(I) didn’t turn up at times when I should have,” Lafferty told BBC Sport NI in a wide-ranging interview.
“Not reaching a 100 caps, (Lafferty got 20 goals in 89) I blame myself for it, I should be well into a 100. I wouldn’t change my career for a second but there are disappointments.
Asked to expand on his regrets, Lafferty said: “Deciding to go on holiday instead of playing for your country at times. This was like when I was 21, 22, 23, just knowing that I’d done well previously that I’d get another call-up, taking liberties like I said.
“Maybe throwing in an injury where the rest of the team I was at might have been getting a few days off and taking the days off rather than going to play for your country.”
When asked to confirm he had feigned injury at times, he said: “I wasn’t injured, yeah, just stuff like that. Just daft stuff that you look back and think ‘it was just so stupid of me’.”
Lafferty could have been Rangers title hero in 55 dream
Lafferty was barely halfway through his first season back at Rangers under Gerrard when the former manager had enough.
A bounce game was arranged against Liverpool's youth team, played behind closed doors at Ibrox, only for the senior members who started for Rangers to be hooked at half time 4-0 down.
That the Gers academy players got the score back to 4-4 in the second half didn’t help their cause.
Gerrard was not amused and openly commented about how unhappy he was with the attitudes of those who failed to deliver.
Only Borna Barisic apologised to Gerrard the next day and earned his place back in the squad.
Lafferty could have been at Rangers well into his 30s, if he'd wanted to.
He could also have had 100 caps for Northern Ireland.
Sometimes, people don't realise the opportunities that they have until it is too late.
