Kilmarnock striker Kyle Lafferty has been banned for 10 matches by the Scottish Football Association over a sectarian comment to a fan.
The Northern Ireland striker was filmed making the comment after a fan asked him to pose for a photograph.
The 35-year-old will now not play until Kilmarnock’s League Cup semi-final against Celtic in January.
“I want to deeply apologise to the club, supporters and my family for the distress caused,” Lafferty said.
“It’s something I immediately regretted and have been embarrassed about since.
“There is no excuse. I totally acknowledge my reaction to the incident was completely out of order. I absolutely accept that I should not have responded to provocation in that manner.”
The SFA recently changed its disciplinary rules around offensive behaviour, permitting stiffer penalties on those found guilty.
Kilmarnock have already fined the forward for the incident.
Lafferty will work with Scotland’s leading anti-sectarian charity, Nil By Mouth, which provides education that has been developed to tackle sectarianism in society.
“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.”
More to follow
