Burnley striker Andre Gray has been handed a four game suspension by the Football Association for homophobic tweets which were posted on his social media account.
The tweets - one of which said: "Is it me or are there gays everywhere #Burn #Die #MakesMeSick" - were posted in 2012, when Gray was playing football in the Conference.
In a statement on the FA website, the ban was handed down for "misconduct in respect of social media comments," citing six different tweets which were classed as "abusive and/or insulting and/or improper and/or brought the game into disrepute contrary to Rule E3(1)."
Gray has also distanced himself from the remarks, stating “I want to offer a sincere and unreserved apology to anybody I may have offended in relation to these tweets.
"The tweets were posted four years ago when I was a completely different person to the man I am now. I was at a very different point in my life back then - one that I’ve worked hard to move on from.
"Thankfully a lot has changed in my life since then. I have experienced a lot over the past four years and have had to take responsibility for a number of things in my life which has enabled me to mature and grow as a person since that time."
The statement also highlighted that Gray accepted three of the breaches of conduct, but denied three others which were found proven in an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing. He was issued with a £25,000 fine, and was ordered to attend an FA education course.
Gray's ban takes effect immediately, meaning he will miss his side's games against Watford, Arsenal, Southampton and Everton in the coming weeks.
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