Burnley striker Andre Gray banned for four matches for controversial Twitter comments

Burnley striker Andre Gray has been handed a four-match ban after he was found guilty of misconduct over comments he posted on social media. The 25-year-old was charged by the Football Association (FA) with bringing the game into disrepute in relation homophobic remarks he made on Twitter four years ago.

Gray was accused of breaching six FA rules at a hearing on Thursday (22 September). The striker admitted to three of the rule breaches and was found guilty of an additional three.

"Following an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing yesterday, the remaining three breaches were found proven," a statement from the FA explained. "The player was also fined £25,000, warned as to his future conduct and ordered to attend an FA education course."

Gray and Burnley have both accepted the ban. "We believe this charge, regarding historical social media posts, should now also serve as a warning to all professional footballers, and participants in the wider sporting field," the club said in a statement.

Gray posted the controversial tweets while he was playing for non-league Hinckley United in 2012. However, they were only drawn to the attention of the FA after he scored his first top-flight goal after Burnley defeated Liverpool in August.