Darly Murphy has admitted that he secretly served a drug ban late last year, after he tested positive for the use of cocaine.
The Athletic have exclusively revealed that the player admits taking the drug on a night out and was ultimately with with a six week suspension.
The former Republic of Ireland striker was at Nottingham Forest at the time and did not play for the club between October 6th and December 8th of 2018.
Murphy was not known to have been banned, with FA policy dictating that any player who fails a drugs test should not be named publicly. In a statement, the player said:
Firstly, I would like to stress that the taking of recreational drugs is something that I don’t condone whatsoever. I served a suspension at the beginning of last season for making a bad decision while on a night out.
This was an isolated incident which happened out of competition when we had no game. I immediately regretted it.
I am not proud of what I did but it’s something I have put behind me as I want to concentrate on my football career.
Murphy earned 32 caps for Ireland at senior level. He was often given as an example of a model professional throughout his career, which makes this revelation especially shocking.
Now 36-years old, the forward is currently in League One with Bolton Wanderers. He joined the club in September of this year having been made surplus to requirements at Nottingham Forest.
