Former Ireland striker Daryl Murphy has admitted that he served a suspension for failing a drugs test, having taken cocaine on a night out and says it was a "bad decision".

The Waterford native (36) is currently in League One with Bolton Wanderers, but he has confirmed to The Athletic that he served a ban while he was on the books of Nottingham Forest last year. The ban was never made public, as players who fail drug tests are not identified by the FA.

"I would like to stress that the taking of recreational drugs is something that I don’t condone whatsoever,” Murphy said in a statement issued to The Athletic.

“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 returned to the Forest side after serving the ban, but he was allowed leave the club last summer and dropped down a division, joining Bolton. He retired from international football in January 2018.

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