David Healy’s ‘history’ call to his Linfield players ahead of Europa home clash

The Blues take on Bosnia’s champions aiming to maximise home advantage at Windsor Park - and Healy is relishing the challenge.

It offers Linfield, winners of a domestic double, a second opportunity to progress in Europe having suffered a Champions League exit.

“It’s something we always relay to the players...certainly the big games people want to come and watch and talk about - it’s always an opportunity for someone to put their hand up and go and put their name in the history books of this great club,” said Healy on the official Linfield website. “Hopefully, someone will step forward when the big moment arises in the game and take care, be clinical and ruthless and make the right decision at the right time.”

And Healy is keen to gain an early edge ahead of next week’s Europa Conference League trip to Bosnia.

“It gives us the opportunity to get a positive result at home then going to Bosnia and, hopefully, backing it up,” said Healy. “The players have always been positive.

“You always need your experienced players to stand up, especially against a good team.

“We’ve got to take care of our own business - we want to play our own shape, our own formation, our own team.

“The players have been preparing, they’ve got the information on the opposition.

“We’ve talked about them...their threats and their weaknesses hopefully we can exploit.

“We need our supporters...any help or support we can gain will hopefully stand us in good stead.”

He continued: “The European games take care of themselves...if we can get as many supporters in as possible that would be great to get behind the team.

“European competition is what we want.

“You want to go into the game and you’re understanding of the opposition and the level.

“But we want to embrace the challenge.”

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