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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Lochlin Highet

Kyle Lafferty hit with 10-game ban as Kilmarnock striker apologises after sectarian comment

Kilmarnock striker Kyle Lafferty has been hit with a 10-game ban after a sectarian comment while on International duty.

The 35-year-old was sent home from Northern Ireland's camp after a clip appeared on social media of a sectarian comment made by him, and a club investigation was subsequently launched.

He was hit with a "substantial fine" by Kilmarnock, and he will work closely with anti-sectarian charity Nil by Mouth.

And now his fate has been decided by the Scottish Football Association.

Kyle Lafferty told the club's wesbite: “I want to deeply apologise to the club, supporters and my family for the distress caused over the past month.

"I totally acknowledge that my reaction to the incident was completely out of order. There is no excuse, it’s something that I immediately regretted and have been embarrassed about ever since. I absolutely accept that I should not have responded to provocation in that manner.

“I placed myself in a position that has been very difficult to deal with, so I’m now determined to work with Nil By Mouth to ensure that others, particularly the youngsters at the club, learn from my mistake and avoid putting themselves in any type of similar situation in the future.”

A club statement read: "Kilmarnock Football Club have accepted a 10-match ban that has been served to Kyle Lafferty by the Scottish Football Association, on top of the club’s own disciplinary action."

The first match he will be eligible to play is Killie's Premier Sports Cup semi-final at Hampden against Celtic.

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