This is the first in a two-part series of the Boots to Billing podcast, where host Alan McFadden and co-host Chris Fahey sit down with Northern Ireland legend Kyle Lafferty – the country's second-highest ever goal scorer, who won everything in Scottish football and played across Europe.

Kyle opens up about his remarkable journey from a tiny village of 2,000 people in Northern Ireland, where dreams of professional football seemed impossible, to signing for Burnley at just 15 and leaving home for the first time. He shares the emotional reality of being a homesick teenager in digs with seven cats, and how sheer determination and focus kept him going.

The conversation dives deep into the transfer saga that brought him to Rangers – how he turned down Celtic out of loyalty to the club he'd supported his entire life, and what it was like to walk into Ibrox for the first time. Kyle reflects on playing under the legendary Walter Smith, a proper father figure who knew about your family before he knew about your football, and why that man-management made all the difference.

Kyle doesn't shy away from addressing his reputation, admitting to "daft stuff" done as a naive 20-year-old thrust into one of the world's biggest clubs. He discusses the immense pressure of playing for Rangers, why it's harder than people think, and how he found it easier to score against Celtic when playing for other clubs.

He also takes us inside his time playing abroad – particularly in Italy with Palermo, where he experienced Serie B football, ultras confronting players in restaurants, and the reality of Mafia influence on everyday life. Kyle explains why he believes more British players should move abroad and why he loved the lifestyle and challenge of Italian football.

This episode is sponsored by AGPayroll.