“I know she’s looking down on me and watching every single ball I kick. If I score a goal she’ll be up there cheering, so in the game, knowing that, I want to put a smile on her face with my performance.”

 

The big striker says his beloved sister was “my biggest fan without a shadow of a doubt.” He recalls how, “she has always been there. The amount of times I had to pick up my phone or text her and say ‘Sonia, stay off Twitter, people are going to say bad things about me, just ignore them. She’d be having a battle with them. She would never let anyone say bad about me.”

 

 While Sonia is no longer here, she is always to the forefront of Kyle’s mind.

 

“Obviously not having her around now, going to every game, I’m not sure if you see, I’ve got her name on my wrist every single game. Anything I do, I’ll be thinking of her and every goal that I score is dedicated to her and my family. I’ve been lucky that she’s seen me live my dream, playing for Northern Ireland and Rangers, I’m obviously delighted that she saw me do that.”

 

Kyle has been in the form of his life since joining Scottish side Kilmarnock three months ago. Ten goals in nine appearances for the Killies has landed him the Scottish Premiership Player of the Month award for April and the 33 year-old seems to be in a happy place right now.

 

“I will try and stay in Scotland, that’s my main aim. I’ve done enough travelling abroad, being away from my wife and kids. So I will try and stay in Scotland and if that’s Kilmarnock I’ll be absolutely delighted because I’ve loved every single day I’ve been here with the lads, the manager and obviously I’m playing football with a smile on my face, which is obviously a bonus for me.”

 

Lafferty left home to pursue his dream of playing football when he was only 15 years-old. A move to Glasgow Rangers was an “eye opener” says the Kesh man.