Linfield Football Club have said it “totally refutes the allegations” made by former player Kyle Lafferty, who labelled the Irish League outfit as “the worst run club I've ever seen in my life”.

In an appearance on Open Goal, a Scottish-based football show, Lafferty slammed the Blues as “a shambles” and claimed the South Belfast club “wasted money on stupid things” during his time there.

Former Northern Ireland international 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 appearances 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.

placeholder image — Former Linfield player Kyle Lafferty. (Photo by INPHO/Brian Little)

The 38-year-old was scathing in his criticism of the club and believes Healy, who has won six league titles across his decade in charge, deserves immense credit 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."

When approached for comment by 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.”

During the interview, Lafferty also compared Linfield’s level to a club in “League One or bottom of the Championship” of the Scottish pyramid.