RANGERS striker Kyle Lafferty has vowed to silence the critics who have dubbed him an expensive flop. The Northern Ireland international has netted only twice in 12 appearances since joining his boyhood idols for more than £3million in the summer. Lafferty endured an injury-hit start to life at Ibrox and insists he should be cut some slack. He plans to channel the criticism levelled at him into his performances on the field.
He said: "I've been criticised quite a lot but it isn't going to get me down. If anything, it makes me stronger and makes me want to prove to the fans I can do a job. I want to show the people out there who are doubting me that Rangers do have a good
player on their hands. All I have to do is work hard and keep listening to the people around me. If I take their advice, I'm hopeful of doing well. I want to prove people who knock me wrong and I believe I can do that. The people close to me believe that too."
Lafferty insists he had not even considered his price tag when he joined Rangers from Burnley but admits constantly seeing it brought up has affected him.
"I didn't really think too much about how much money had been paid for me," he said. "I had started pretty well when I was on the field. But after I had more little injuries and I began to spend a lot of time on the bench, people started to highlight how much Rangers had paid for me. Some were putting pressure on me and I think they're forgetting I'm still quite young and that I'm learning the game. I'm not using that as an excuse, it's just true.
"I've been a pro for a little over three years but last season was my first when I've played more than I've been on the bench. Even at that, I wasn't playing in my best position up front because Burnley used me out on the left instead. In the long run, I'm sure training and working with the coaching staff will help me."
Lafferty, who was bought very much as a long-term investment, has been buoyed by the support he has received from his team-mates, manager Walter Smith and assistant Ally McCoist.
"The gaffer and Coisty have both had a word with me and they told me to keep my head up and not to get despondent," Lafferty said. "If I picked up the ball, ran at defenders and then lost it, I was expecting to get a telling off for it but they've really encouraged me instead. They've told me to keep playing my own game and I've agreed with what they've said.
"It has been great to have their support. It has made me feel a lot more relaxed on the ball and it has helped having guys in the team who talk to you all the time. When I was out on the right of midfield against Aberdeen, I enjoyed having Kirk Broadfoot behind me because he kept me right."
The full article contains 527 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
