ITV Pundit Ian Wright has laid into Rangers striker Kyle Lafferty for his late call off from the Northern Ireland squad for this week’s internationals, as reported by The Daily Record.
Lafferty withdrew from Michael O’Neill’s side with an Achilles injury the night before he was due to meet-up with his teammates, angering the national boss and some supporters of the side.
Facing Austria in action on Friday night, they lost 1-0, leaving them with no points in the UEFA Nations League so far.
As quoted by The Daily Record, Wright said on ITV’s highlights show:
You should still turn up. You can’t phone up at 12 o’clock to the manager and upset the preparations like that.
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.
Clearly the way Lafferty handled it all wasn’t ideal, but if he wasn’t fit, then he wasn’t fit. I doubt it’s causing drama in the dressing room and O’Neill is already on record saying he will deal with it all in time after the break ends.
Lafferty has been a loyal servant to Northern Ireland for years now, winning close to 70 caps, and with his club career an obvious priority right now, he can’t be blamed for putting his fitness before international duty.
It’s hardly ‘disgraceful behaviour’, as Wright put it.
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