Kyle lafferty says johnstone burgh junior cup glory would mean as rangers medals

FORMER IBROX HITMAN IS DESPERATE TO LAND SILVERWARE FOR THE JUNIOR SIDE TWO YEARS AFTER DROPPING DOWN THE RANKS. 11:43, 01 Jun 2025 Kyle Lafferty’s trophy cabinet may be bulging with three

Scottish Premiership gongs, a Scottish Cup winners’ medal, two League Cups, Serie B and the Scottish Championship title. But the former Rangers striker and Northern Ireland legend insists

adding a Junior Cup gold to the collection with Johnstone Burgh would mean as much as anything he’s ever achieved. Few, if any, players as decorated at the top level as Lafferty have ever

graced the stage which lies ahead at Broadwood Stadium this afternoon as Burgh tackle Tranent. It’s been 57 years since the Keanie Park club last lifted the famous trophy - and 25 years

since they were last in the final. But with 3000 fans set to follow them through to Cumbernauld, Lafferty feels the weight of expectation. And he’s as hungry to deliver as he has been on any

big occasion in a career that’s taken him from Rangers, Burnley, Palermo, Norwich, Sunderland, Hearts and Kilmarnock. Article continues below Not to mention 89 caps for his country and a

run to the quarter finals of Euro 2016. But asked if winning in front of 4500 fans this afternoon would mean just as much, the 37-year-old said: “Yeah, 100 per cent. It is another medal that

will go in the cabinet. “It might not be the biggest competition that I have played in, but it is a medal. I am playing for Johnstone Burgh and I have come here to win trophies and collect

medals. “There has been a lot (of finals) and I have been quite lucky to win the majority of them but I know how important the Scottish Junior Cup is for the club. “That was one of the first

things they said to me when I came here, that they were desperate to win it again.” Lafferty has come to the end of his second season at the West of Scotland Premier League side who

finished third behind Clydebank and Auchinleck in the table. Swapping packed stadiums at Ibrox and Windsor Park for wide open terraces around the non-league level hasn’t been an issue.

There’s been offers to return to the SPFL. But Lafferty is content. He said: “I love it. It is a great club heading in the right direction. I get on really well with the two owners Scott and

Jack. It is a proper family club who get the community involved with things. “Obviously, the football is different. I am not turning out in front of tens of thousands of fans but it is a

good group of lads. “I said when I finished my career I did not want to do it with a clubs settling for mid table. “I wanted a challenge, either a team that was fighting relegation or a team

that was fighting for promotion and this is ideal for me. “Even when I have been here there have been clubs speaking about me joining them. I have had two years here and I am happy here. I

came here to win trophies and get to finals and Sunday is one of them.” Lafferty reckons he has one year left in his playing career. And he’d love to spend it at Keanie Park. He said: “I

would like to be. We have spoken so the conversation is there about next season. I know I am getting on and if I am here next year, it will probably be my last season. Article continues

below “I’d like to go out leaving the club in the Lowland League. But even after I hang up my boots I would like to stay on as a coach at the club. “It is something I have looked at, I have

my own soccer academy as well so I think I can pass on my experience and hopefully bring the young lads on because I think we don’t have a lot of lads from the 21s coming through. “Hopefully

that will be a side I can look after.”