Former Hearts star centre of red card anger as meaty challenge slammed after rivals left fuming

The star was previously at Hearts | SNS

A former Hearts star is the centre of red card anger in the lower leagues of Scottish football.

Kyle Lafferty has enjoyed a successful and lengthy career in the game, with the 36-year-old now in the West of Scotland Football League with Johnstone Burgh. In a match with Auchinleck Talbot, he has sparked anger after a tackle that resulted in a straight red card.

He left opponent Ross Clark floored and had the opposition bench in a fit of rage as he was instantly dismissed. The veteran was a second half substitute but was sent packing early in the match which eventually ended in a 1-1 draw.

Behind The Whistles podcast, which is manned by ex professional referees Steve Conroy and Des Roache, hit out at the tackle and wondered what was going on to make Lafferty lunge into such a challenge. A tweet reads: “Terrible way to attempt to challenge. Only he knows why he went in to it that way when it wasn’t required. He’s an experienced player and should know better.”

Lafferty started his career at Burnley and joined Rangers for the first time in 2008. He won three league titles at Ibrox before spells at Sion, Palermo and Norwich City. A return to Scottish football beckoned with Hearts in 2017, where he had a good spell before returning to Rangers a year later.

His second stint at Ibrox wasn’t as fruitful, leaving for Sarpsborg in 2019. Sunderland then brought him in during 2020 and since then, he’s ran out for Reggina, Kilmarnock twice, Anorthosis Famagusta and Linfield. He joined Johnstone Burgh last summer.