Dean Shiels has played for four Scottish clubs

Former Rangers and Hibernian forward Dean Shiels says he wouldn't play for a Scottish club again following the abuse he received as a Dunfermline player.

Two men were charged after plastic eyeballs were thrown on to the pitch during a 2018 match involving Northern Ireland cap Shiels, who has one eye.

Crowd disorder has been in the news this season following missiles thrown from the stands and pitch invasions.

"These incidents seem to be occurring more and more often now," said Shiels.

"You can't prevent certain people from doing these things but something needs to change at the moment. There needs to be some sort of punishment and it needs to be severe to make people realise that they are going to clamp down on it.

"When you're on a football pitch you're not expecting something like that happen. There's people really taking it too far now and something needs to be done about it.

"People need to realise that the players are giving their all. It's their job. They're at their place of work.

"No-one wants to play behind closed doors. They want the fans there, they want to enjoy the atmosphere."

A spectator was arrested after confronting Rangers captain James Tavernier during Friday's match at Hibernian and there were similar incidents at two high profile English matches on Sunday.

There have also been several incidences of missiles being thrown on to the pitch at Scottish matches this season.

The plastic eyeballs incident happened during a match between Dunfermline and Falkirk in 2018.

"I actually couldn't believe what was happening, that people would go to that effort just to abuse you," Coleraine player Shiels, 34, told BBC Scotland.

"I just wanted to rip up my contract and leave but I stayed and saw it out. I couldn't wait to get out of Scotland, to be honest. Dunfermline is a good club but the abuse I took, it just wasn't worth the hassle.

"I don't think I would want to go back to Scotland now. I've had abuse at nearly every ground I went to. I've been abused by parents standing with their children. It left a sour taste in my mouth. I had some great memories in Scotland."