Daryl Murphy has revealed he was banned by the Football Association for taking drugs while under contract at Nottingham Forest.
The Irishman, who left the City Ground earlier this year and joined Bolton Wanderers on a free transfer, has reportedly told The Athletic of the incident, which has only now come to light.
Murphy, according to the report, was banned for six weeks around a year ago after taking cocaine on a night out.
Expressing his remorse in the interview with The Athletic, Murphy said: “Firstly, I would like to stress that the taking of recreational drugs is something that I don’t condone whatsoever.
“I served a suspension at the beginning of last season for making a bad decision while on a night out.
“This was an isolated incident which happened out of competition when we had no game.
"I immediately regretted it. “I am not proud of what I did but it’s something I have put behind me as I want to concentrate on my football career,” Murphy added.
Since moving to the University of Bolton Stadium, Murphy has five goals in 10 games.
The Football Association has a policy of not naming players in drugs cases, so it is only now, because of Murphy's own admission that the offence and subsequent ban have become public knowledge.
