KYLE LAFFERTY has been good for Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland has been good for Kyle Lafferty.

So I am sure the situation surrounding his withdrawal from the squad for the Nations League matches with Austria and Bosnia and Herzegovina will be resolved in a manner that suits both parties.

Kyle has realised that he made a mistake regarding the conversation he had with Michael O’Neill and realises that he hasn’t followed the correct protocol. He should have told the manager earlier rather than in a late night call that he wouldn’t be joining up with the squad due to injury.

Rangers have accepted the course of action that the Irish FA have taken and Kyle has accepted it as well. So, he will not be available for the game with Hamilton on Sunday.

He will miss the match and that is his own fault. He will carry on and hopefully it can be resolved and it can be put behind him and Michael.

Kyle has accepted that he did wrong and didn’t follow the correct protocol but he loves playing for Northern Ireland and he still wants to represent his country. He doesn’t want to let anyone down and he wants to come back.

He has put his hands up, he is sorry and he still wants to be available for Northern Ireland going forward. He is very passionate about his country and whatever happened last week, only he knows.

But the bottom line is that he still wants to play for them and I am sure the Northern Ireland supporters will welcome him back with open arms.

He loves playing for his country and the loves being with the people around the squad. I am sure it means a lot to him that his family and friends can see him representing the nation.

It is a massive thing to play for your country. I found that when I was playing for Scotland and every time I did was a very proud moment for me and my family.

Kyle will be the same and he will be desperate for this to blow over and for him to get back in there playing and scoring goals and doing his best for Michael O’Neill’s side.

It is a dream to play at the top level for your club, as Kyle is doing again, but it would have meant so much for him to be part of the squad at the European Championships in France and he will want to get back there again before he retires.

At 31, he still has plenty to offer for club and country. He started very young and has been at a few clubs but he has got better as the years have gone on.

Rangers know what he can do and what he can give and Northern Ireland certainly know that as well. He can be a key player for both for a while to go yet, there is no doubt about that.

Let’s hope that everyone can put this to one side and move on and Kyle can get back to doing what he does best for Rangers and Northern Ireland once again.

From Rangers’ perspective, it is a disappointment that he won’t be in the squad because of this situation but that is down to him and nobody else.

Everyone will move on and Rangers will focus on what is a huge Premiership game.

I am sure Kyle will be able to put this behind him. He is not a daft kid anymore and he has been through a lot in his career.

You learn as you get older and you realise that you don’t have that many years left in football. What you have got, you have to make the most of and I know Kyle will.

He won’t, of course, be part of Steven Gerrard’s side against Accies and there is no doubt that it will be a difficult game for Rangers.

It is always hard when you come back from an international break. Even if some players haven’t had that many minutes, they have still had the travelling.

And when you add in the fact that Rangers have struggled away from home this season, it is shaping up to be a tricky tie.

It is one that Rangers must win, though.