Match of the Day pundit Ian Wright has tore Rangers’ Kyle Lafferty to shreds for ruling himself out of the Northern Ireland squad ahead of their recent fixtures.
Lafferty, 30, has been ever-present since returning to Ibrox in the summer, but ex-England international Wright has questionned his professionalism after a seemingly late decision to tell Michael O’Neill he was not going to feature in this international break.
The Rangers first teamer’s international career is now under major scrunity, and Wright’s rant about him certainly won’t help his cause.
“You should still turn up. You can’t phone up at 12 o’clock to the manager and upset the preparations like that,” said Wright on ITV’s UEFA Nations League Highlights show on Friday night, as quoted by the Daily Record.
“He knew exactly what he was doing, I think it’s disgraceful behaviour really.
“I think that once the squad is named, say ‘listen, I’m trying to manage my Achilles, I don’t think I’ll be fit enough’.
“Don’t ring at 12 o’clock at night, causing problem like that – I think it’s terribly unprofessional of him.”
OPINION
It is fair enough for Lafferty to worry more about his club career than his international one because he feels as though he can achieve a lot more with Rangers than he can with Northern Ireland, who have played in some shoddy Nations League fixtures this season. However it was the wrong call to give O’Neill such short notice and while Steven Gerrard and the Gers fans are happy he has not played, those across the Irish Sea will not. Will Lafferty ever be able to rebuild bridges between himself and the Green and White Army? Given the fact that he is definitely their best striker, he will more than likely be back in the set-up next year, but he might not play again in the current round of the Nations League. Euro 2020 kick off next March, so the ex-Norwich striker will more than likely be back playing for his nation then.