Northern Ireland striker Kyle Lafferty has extended his stay at Scottish fifth-tier outfit Johnstone Burgh for a further year with manager Stevie Farrell declaring “I think everyone in football appreciates what a real asset and good player he is”.

Lafferty joined ambitious Burgh in 2023 – when they were playing in the seventh-tier – following his departure from Linfield, where he made eight league appearances during a short stint at Windsor Park.

The 38-year-old has helped the Renfrewshire club scale the Scottish pyramid and they’ll be plying their trade in Lowland League West next term.

Lafferty also led Johnstone Burgh to their first Scottish Junior Cup triumph since 1968 last year, scoring his penalty in a shoot-out victory over Tranent.

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

Having won three Premiership titles and a Scottish Cup crown with Rangers, Lafferty has experienced success at the highest level in Scotland.

He also played in the Premier League for Norwich City and sits second on Northern Ireland’s all-time goalscoring chart, netting 20 times across his 89 international appearances.

Lafferty, who will turn 39 in September, fired Northern Ireland to Euro 2016, scoring seven times for Michael O’Neill’s side on their qualifying run to the major tournament in France.

New Burgh boss Farrell is excited to work with Lafferty and believes he still has a lot to offer.

"I’m delighted Kyle has agreed to extend his stay at the club,” he said. “On my arrival we enjoyed a good chat together and I expressed that I was very keen to work with him in the season ahead.

"We discussed how best we can allow him to go and have a really impactful season, and if Kyle Lafferty is at it, then I think everyone in football appreciates what a real asset and good player he is.”

The club said in a statement: “Johnstone Burgh FC are delighted to announce that Kyle has extended his stay at the Burgh for one more year.

"Kyle has played an integral part of progressing the club over the last three years both on and off the pitch and we are delighted he has committed to us for another season.”

Lafferty created headlines in October when he labelled Linfield 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.

"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."