Kyle Lafferty: I’d love Rangers return but fans may disagree

[ian1964 10,724]

Kyle Lafferty would jump at the chance of a move back to Rangers but fears the Ibrox fans wouldn’t want him.

 

Lafferty returned yesterday to Belfast with his Northern Ireland team-mates following their elimination from Euro 2016. They were given a heroes’ reception after Michael O’Neill’s team reached the last 16.

 

But this is far removed from how the striker believes he would be received at Ibrox. Lafferty is convinced the manner of his departure from Rangers, when he decided against transferring his contract to the 
newco at the height of the club’s financial problems, means he won’t be welcomed back.

 

Lafferty has all but called quits on his time at Norwich City after featuring so rarely under Alex Neil. Even though the Carrow Road side have now been relegated to the Championship, he doesn’t imagine that his situation will change.

 

“I’m going on my honeymoon, my phone is going off for two or three weeks,” he said yesterday.

 

“I’m just going to enjoy myself for a while and lie on the beach with my new wife. It’s obviously going to be hard watching the rest of the tournament, but I’ll see what comes up for me.

 

“I’ll speak to my agent once every day to see what’s happening because I’ll probably be looking to move on. I haven’t been given a chance at Norwich, so I think my time is finished there.”

 

Lafferty, whose new wife Vanessa is from East Kilbride, is keen to return to Rangers, the club he supported growing up in Northern Ireland. But he appreciates his reputation has been clouded by his decision to quit the club four years ago.

 

“If that door was open, I’d love to,” he said. “But I regret what I did with Rangers and I don’t think the fans would have me back if they had their say.

 

“I’m always going to be a Rangers fans and I’ll always look out for their results. But if I thought the fans would have me back, then I’d always have that door open. Hopefully, one day – even if I’m not pulling on a Rangers jersey – that they’ll 
welcome me back as a supporter. I have my fingers crossed for that.”

 

Lafferty admits that knowing what he knows now, he wouldn’t have left the club as they began their ascent through the leagues. He also regrets pretending Charlie Mulgrew had headbutted him in a clash against Aberdeen. This led to referee Stuart Dougal red-carding Mulgrew. The incident simply marked Lafferty out as a troublemaker.

 

“I regret leaving,” he said. “I have travelled and I have played for some amazing clubs along the way. In 
Italy and at Sion, I enjoyed 
my time.

 

“I’ve been around the world and it’s an experience I’ve enjoyed. But there’s no feeling like pulling on a Rangers jersey and playing in front of those fans every week.

 

“The standout one is the Charlie Mulgrew incident,” he added. “That disappointed myself and it disappointed the club.

 

“But I think I’m always going to be remembered for being the daft guy who had a chance at Rangers and never took it.

 

“That’s why if the opportunity came up again I’d jump at it. I’ve matured and I’m a lot older. I think I’d look at things a different way – so we’ll see what happens.”

 

Read more: http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/kyle-lafferty-i-d-love-rangers-return-but-fans-may-disagree-1-4163894#ixzz4CpChKsxu

Follow us: @TheScotsman on Twitter | TheScotsmanNewspaper on Facebook

[boabie 230]

Count me in Kyle. You were a waste of a clean jersey and should've been thrown out the club right after your antics against the sheep. A mank jersey would have suited you better.

[Maxdazzy 0]

Fuck off, Kyle.

[pete 2,499]

Count me in Kyle. You were a waste of a clean jersey and should've been thrown out the club right after your antics against the sheep. A mank jersey would have suited you better.

 

I just don't think he is good enough.

[ian1964 10,724]

Count me in Kyle. You were a waste of a clean jersey and should've been thrown out the club right after your antics against the sheep. A mank jersey would have suited you better.

 

Not disagreeing with you,just that it does baffle me how much stick Lafferty got for that from the whole of Scottisg football and Scottish media,quite right!,compare that to how much of an easy ride the wee hobo got for exactly the same thing against Halliday!,you would think it never happened yet everybody remembers Lafferty!

Edited June 27, 2016 by ian1964

[Davie P 4]

Not disagreeing with you,just that it does baffle me how much stick Lafferty got for that from the whole of Scottisg football and Scottish media,quite right!,compare that to how much of an easy ride the wee hobo got for exactly the same thing against Halliday!,you would think it never happened yet everybody remembers Lafferty!

 

We have different standards Ian. Rangers would never accept that type of gamesmanship, whereas for Hibs, (and probably every other club) any advantage gained is accepted, irrespective of how it was arrived at.

[Yorkshire Bear 0]

What's matter Kyle,nobody want you.Just go and do one.

[boabie 230]

Not disagreeing with you,just that it does baffle me how much stick Lafferty got for that from the whole of Scottisg football and Scottish media,quite right!,compare that to how much of an easy ride the wee hobo got for exactly the same thing against Halliday!,you would think it never happened yet everybody remembers Lafferty!

 

I remember Lafferty because he did it in a Rangers jersey Ian. I detest cheating .

But you're correct. He got far more negative coverage than anyone else did.

Edited June 28, 2016 by boabie
spelling error

[Uilleam 5,948]

He was too inconsistent in his spell at Ibrox, far too inconsistent.

[der Berliner 3,747]

I saw him at the Euros for the first time in years. Worked - much like Davis - his socks off in a essential average standard side, always willing, always there. From that perspective, he would be a decent addition. Would he score enough goals though? Hard to tell.

 

Essentially, if MW says he's good enough, so be it.

 

Sins of the past ... his big problem at Ibrox was the by comparison huge fee we paid for him ... with only a sporadic return. The same blight that cursed Flo's stay with us - and both not of their own making. If you look at the respective stats back then, you might be surprised that it was better than others who are still adored to this day. Be that as it may, Lafferty's exit is the crux of the matter. He admitted his failings (and not solely because he wants to be back), he was indeed rather immature as a person, perhaps nose-lead by his agent. But people grow up and learn. If he was to come back, he will be under hard scrutiny and people will want more from him than from any other people in his position. And that has to be expected ... and he'll know that.

 

The headbut ... he was castigated for it by the club (and the rest doesn't matter), agreed that it was sub-Rangers standard and that is that. And I'd say to some that we should not come on here and try to "appear holy-er than the Pope". Footballers are human beings. You see the Italians and the Spaniards rolling about as they have done for ages, and it is being taken for granted in the world. We despise that and IMHO rightly so. Much like we despised the antics of Petrov, Sutton, O'Gheady and some others in years gone by. He paid for that attempt at cheating, learned from it and I essentially forgot it. It is very much expected that the mhedia brings it up again, and the same would happen if Aluko signs up again. But we all know how biased that stuff is, given the antics - up to this day - by the Scum folk.

 

So in essence, if MW decides that Lafferty is the man alongside Waghorn, so be it.

Edited June 28, 2016 by der Berliner