23 medals and counting for Linfield's Jamie Mulgrew 'what I’ve always wanted to do' - plus captain names his Player of the Year

​The Blues captain helped secure a second successive BetMcLean Cup success with a weekend 3-1 win over Portadown at Windsor Park that marked the first leg of a potential domestic trophy treble.

Linfield meet Glentoran this month in the Irish Cup semi-finals plus sit two points off defending league champions Larne across a thrilling Premiership title race.

With crunch fixtures to come over the closing stages of the campaign, Mulgrew wants Linfield to draw on the delight of Sunday’s latest silverware scenes.

​”It was very satisfying...to do it back to back,” said Mulgrew. "You never get bored, it’s what you’re in the game for...that’s what you set out to do and dream of as a kid – to win football matches and to win trophies.

"Doing this here is more important to me than what the wage packet is and everything else. That’s what I’ve always wanted to do...to play here and win trophies.”

The 37-year-old highlighted how the “we showed them respect” mentality when up against second-tier Portadown should serve as the Blues’ run-in blueprint.

"I never get too far ahead...you hope that after winning here it’ll give us belief and confidence,” he said, praising the “professional manner without putting on a fantastic display” behind Sunday’s triumph. "All of us feel that we are capable...we have to continue to have the right mentality and attitude no matter who we play. It’s getting to the crunch now and there’s not much room for error.

"A lot of teams will come here (to Windsor Park) and think it’s a free hit and they’re not expected to win and all the pressure’s on us. That can be true to a certain degree so it’s vitally important that we treat the game in a professional manner.”

He added: "It’s there for everybody to see that the league is far more difficult now to win.”

Despite the plaudits for another trophy-winning performance, Mulgrew singled out team-mate Kyle McClean for special praise.

"I think he’s been the Player of the Year so far throughout the league...the levels he has reached.”

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