COWDENBEATH footballer Dean Brett has apologised to the club and fans after admitting placing thousands of bets, including some against his own team.

The Cowden defender was suspended last week after it emerged he has placed bets on more than 6,000 games since the 2011/12 season and he was omitted for Saturday's game with Annan.

The 24-year-old has also admitted placing bets on Cowdenbeath games, including five in which he played, and this week he explained how it had all happened .

The player, who has been with the club almost ten years said: "The SFA have looked at my tweets and from there, they've found all my betting accounts and seen I've made all these bets. I didn't realise the gambling had become such a problem but obviously it has."

Although ongoing since the 2011/12 season, Brett said the problem was at its worst while he was coping with the death of daughter Mollie in summer 2015 and less than seven months later, he suffered a second heartbreak after his partner and mother of their children, Gemma Porteous, lost her battle with cancer, aged 22.

The man who has regularly skippered the Blues, said: "I was sitting on buses going to the hospital with Mollie and then when my partner Gemma passed away, and it spiralled from there. I don't want to use that as an excuse though."

And despite facing the prospect of a lengthy ban, Brett believes he has turned a corner in fighting the addiction: "I've deleted all my betting apps a few months ago and I've not had a bet since." And he thanked the club and supporters for their backing: "The players will tell you I'd never go out to lose.

"I really want to apologise to the club and I just hope they forgive me and give me a second chance."

Club director David Allan told the Times: "On investigating the complaint it became obvious to the SFA from his Twitter comments that Dean was betting on football matches which as a professional footballer in Scotland is not permitted at all.

"Most concerning of all these figures include 65 bets on matches in which Cowdenbeath FC were involved and crucially that on eight occasions bets were placed on Cowdenbeath to lose a match.

"Once this information was to hand the manager Liam Fox and chairman Donald Findlay met with Dean on Thursday and he was suspended on full pay pending a club disciplinary hearing this week as per the club's disciplinary code of practice."