Former Birmingham City striker opens up on addiction and why he feigned injury

Former Birmingham City forward Kyle Lafferty has opened up on his gambling addiction and the regret he has for the way his professional football career petered out having spent time around Europe and representing his native Northern Ireland.

Lafferty, best known for his spells with Burnley and Rangers and also for his eclectic CV which includes time spent in Italy, Norway, Switzerland, Turkey and Cyprus, was at Blues during Gary Rowett's first spell in charge, back in 2016. Lafferty made six appearances having signed on a short term loan deal and he scored on his debut, in a defeat to Brighton.

Now 37, Lafferty - who is back in Scotland and playing locally for non-league outfit Johnstone Burgh - has confessed how he chose to miss Northern Ireland games when younger and, as a result, he consequently missed out on achieving 100 caps, having scored 20 goals in 89 appearances for the Green and White Army.

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"I didn't turn up at times when I should have," Lafferty told BBC Sport NI. "Not reaching a 100 caps, 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. 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. 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's last call up was in 2022, but he was dropped after making a sectarian comment, handed a 10-game ban and was never called up again. He admits now that it was his mistake, that nobody else was to blame and he admits his regret for the whole episode, as well as his decision to sometimes miss out on international duty through his own choice.

"I'm not going to sit here and blame anyone else, the words came out of my mouth," he conceded. "It could have been handled better slightly, maybe. I felt I was flung under the bus in a way. Never getting a call-up since, was it down to that video? I don't know.

"It is tough not being able to play my last game at Windsor in front of the fans, I had a great relationship with them. I like to think they always knew I was giving 110% but it is what it is. It's football, you make mistakes and you have to live with them."

Lafferty has fought against his betting addiction for much of his life and, although he did succumb to his urges in between while working hard to steer clear, he is firmly back in a better head on the gambling front.

"I think I started when I was 12 and my last bet was six months ago. I was off it for three and a half years. Addiction is addiction," he added. "If you don't follow your programs or control your addictions you fall back into and unfortunately I fell back into it. I went and got proper help from the right people and I'm now coming up to six months clean again.

"I've hid for many years with my addiction and the best thing I've done is speak about it. I've helped a lot of people, people have contacted me to ask for advice to get through their addiction."