Former Celtic player Daryl Murphy has admitted that he was banned from football after he was found to have taken cocaine on a night out.
The 36-year-old Irish striker made the admission after he served a secret six-week ban while playing for English Championship club Nottingham Forest.
Murphy, who played for the Hoops between 2010 and 2013, served his ban between October 6 and December 8 last year.
The English FA does not name players who have failed a drugs test, but Murphy decided to admit to the incident that he says he is ‘not proud of’.
He said in a statement: “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.”
Daryl Murphy spent three years at Celtic, where he scored three goals in 21 appearances.
The Republic of Ireland international also had spells at Sunderland, Ipswich and Newcastle.
He is currently a regular for Bolton Wanderers as they seek to make their way out of the English League One relegation zone.
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