Hearts owner Ann Budge says the club will fully support striker Kyle Lafferty after he publicly revealed he has a gambling addiction.

The Northern Irishman opened up about his problem gambling in an interview and said he had told the club about his struggles and asked for their help.

Budge praised Lafferty for confronting the issue and assured the player he had the support of everyone at Tynecastle.

She said the forward's place in Craig Levein's team was not in doubt and he had continued to perform to the same standard while dealing with his problems.

"On behalf of everyone here at Heart of Midlothian Football Club, I would like to formally record our total support for Kyle Lafferty as he moves forward to deal with his acknowledged addiction to gambling, as reported today by Tom English on the BBC website," Budge said in a statement on the club website.

"I would also like to thank Tom for the professional and sensitive manner in which he has handled this situation.

"Kyle took the enormously brave step of coming to the club and asking for help. No one should underestimate how difficult that decision was for him and his family."

She continued: "However, as is well recognised, the first step to dealing with a problem of this nature is to acknowledge that the problem exists. He has earned our great respect for doing so.

"Kyle has the total backing of the coaching staff and his teammates as he deals with this challenge. It is a testament to the great footballer and character he is, that he has in no way allowed his personal battle to affect his performance on the training ground or on the football field.

"For the avoidance of doubt, Kyle will continue to train and play as normal."

Budge added: "Heart of Midlothian has a tremendous fanbase that follows the team in huge numbers both home and away.

"They have taken Kyle to their hearts since he joined the club in the summer and I have absolutely no doubt that they will continue to back him as we all strive to help him deal with this enormous personal problem."