Irish League legend keen to 'put the record straight' after disappointment at Kyle Lafferty's Linfield comments
Linfield legend David Jeffrey feels former player Kyle Lafferty was wrong to publicly criticise the Irish League club after labelling the Blues as “the worst run club I’ve ever seen in my life”.
In an appearance on Open Goal, Lafferty called Linfield “a shambles” and claimed he “could have left after two weeks” due to feeling unhappy at the club.
Lafferty, who earned 89 international caps and spent time on the books of Scottish giants Rangers, joined Linfield from Kilmarnock in February 2023, making eight Premiership outings during a short stint at Windsor Park.
He failed to score a goal for former team-mate David Healy’s side and left at the end of the 2022/23 season to sign for Scottish seventh-tier outfit Johnstone Burgh.
In a statement provided to the News Letter, a Linfield club spokesperson said: “Linfield Football Club totally refute the allegations made by our former player with regards to his short time at the club.”
Former Blues player and manager Jeffrey, who won nine Premiership titles during a trophy-laden spell in the dugout, was left disappointed by the public manner of Lafferty’s criticism.
"Everyone is entitled to their opinion, that's what football is all about, but I really do not think it's correct and right to go public criticising former clubs,” he said on BBC Sportsound, “I was blessed to play at Linfield for 10 years, Ards, Larne, managed Linfield and Ballymena United, and in all of those situations things could have been done differently or better, there's no doubt improvements could have been made and criticism would have been merited.
"It's not about not having an opinion, but you leave a place so you can always come back - I don't think it's healthy or correct that you take opportunity to criticise a former club.
"I hate to be seen to be putting the boot in, but my opinion is based off 28 years of service at Linfield Football Club. Kyle played eight games, so I would not concur with his opinion.
"Could things be done better or differently at Linfield? Of course they could, but look at the trophy haul. If the place was so shambolic, how do they keep winning trophies? I was disappointed and I thought it was important to put the record straight."
Lafferty was scathing in his criticism of Linfield, but praised Healy, who has won six league titles, for delivering significant success.
"I'm happy I played for Linfield because they were my team growing up, the team I looked out for,” he said. “David Healy being manager, I respect him so much being a team-mate and what he has done for our country, but being there, you see how well he has done with what he has been given.
"It's probably the worst run club I've ever seen in my life. I play for Johnstone Burgh now in junior football...they're run better than Linfield, the biggest club in Northern Ireland.
"It was a shambles...the people in control of the club. I know David Graham came in as Sporting Director and tried to help things.
"I didn't score for them...I could have left after two weeks, I wasn't enjoying my time there. They were paying a cafe around the corner £6,000 a month for food for the lads.
"It would come in these big silver containers and we'd be having chicken curry before a game, some of the food was awful. David Graham tried to change that but they said they owed loyalty to a guy around the corner because he has helped Linfield for so many years.
"They wasted money on stupid things and that's why I think what Healy has done is incredible."