A former Hearts, Rangers and Sunderland striker has admitted he is considering retirement.
Former Hearts and Rangers striker Kyle Lafferty has admitted his career could be nearing an end after he put pen-to-paper on a new one-year deal with West of Scotland League Premier Division side Johnstone Burgh.
The 89-times capped former Northern Ireland international made his name with current English Premier League club Burnley before joining Rangers during the summer of 2008. A four-year stay at Ibrox brought three Premiership titles, two League Cup final wins and a single Scottish Cup final triumph as Lafferty scored 31 goals in 104 appearances before linking up with former Rangers and Italy midfielder Gennaro Gattuso at Swiss club FC Sion.
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The striker went on to spend time with the likes of Palermo and Norwich City before joining Hearts on a two-year deal in June 2017. After scoring 13 goals in 37 appearances and helping his side end Celtic’s 69-game unbeaten run in domestic competitions, Lafferty returned to Rangers after a one-season stay at Tynecastle before wrapping up his professional career with short spells with Sunderland, Reggina, Kilmarnock, Anorthosis Famagusta and Linfield.
A move into the semi-professional game came during the summer of 2023 as Lafferty penned a two-year deal with Johnstone Bergh - although a serious knee injury suffered in his second game for the club hampered the impact he made during his first season at James Y. Keanie Park. However, the former Hearts man made a big impression last season as he scored the decisive penalty to help the Burgh lift the first Scottish Junior Cup for the first time since 1968.
Now 37, Lafferty has committed to one more season with the club and is targeting one last hurrah by guiding the Burgh into the Lowland League before he hangs up his boots.
He said: “I would like to be [at Burgh next season]. I know I am getting on and, if I am here next year, it will probably be my last season. I would like to go out leaving the club in the Lowland League. Even after I hang up my boots, I would like to stay on as a coach at the club. It is something I have looked at. I have my own soccer academy as well so I think I can pass on my experience and hopefully bring the young lads on because I think we don’t have a lot of lads from the 21s coming through. Hopefully that will be a side I can look after.”
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