Kilmarnock striker Kyle Lafferty has been banned for 10 matches by the Scottish Football Association over a sectarian comment he made to a fan. The 35-year-old was filmed making the comment after he was asked to pose for a photograph in a nightclub. The Northern Ireland forward 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. “I totally acknowledge that my reaction to the incident was completely out of order.

ads 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.”