Andy Hunter's League Cup medals with Linfield, Portadown and Distillery put him on elite list

Now 43 and still in the game as a coach with Linfield’s youth section, Hunter can look back on a CV which includes a coveted Irish league-and-cup ‘double’ as part of the Blues’ famed clean sweep season in 2005/06.

Within such exalted company it would be easy for some to overlook the League Cup – but for Hunter his three medals hold special personal significance.

That night in November 2001 when he helped Linfield to a ‘Big Two’ derby triumph over Glentoran as a young defender happy to have first-team minutes on the pitch and a first senior medal in his pocket.

Move the clock forward to 2009 as part of a Portadown side relegated to the second tier due to administrative issues but with a string of senior knockout scalps towards lifting the trophy in front of one of the game’s greatest in the-then UEFA president Michel Platini.

And the League Cup provided a fitting finale to his medal haul in 2011 when, as a Lisburn Distillery player, sharing a special place in history with former Linfield team-mate Glenn Ferguson as one of the few to win the trophy at three different clubs.

"I could go and put my hand on those medals right now,” said Hunter ahead of two former clubs, Linfield and Portadown, lining out in this season’s showpiece occasion. "I was lucky enough to win it with three different clubs.

"I'm always going to hold the League Cup in high esteem as I was young when I won it first then it was my final medal.

"It was a privilege to play with some of those talented team-mates and in some great squads and I just knew what I was able to do."

Hunter was offered his Linfield opportunity across the 2001/02 season.

"I was probably a bit star-struck the first time I was brought into the first-team squad but all the lads were like brothers and instantly you felt taken in, with all pulling in the same direction,” said Hunter. "Those Linfield squads would win the league now for me - you had two players for every position who could come in and all play but it wasn't about superstar attitudes.

"You knew you had to play well for the 90 minutes as any drop-off would not be allowed and you could end up out of the team for months even.

"I consider Glenn Ferguson the best Irish League player in my time but now as Linfield’s head of youth he’s standing watching our under 14s and knows every player's name.

"Noel Bailie would put his head down and walk on rather than have people stop and tell him he was one of the best.

"That first League Cup win I was so excited about getting my chance and breaking into the first-team squad in my early 20s, I was happy to be involved and it's a blur really to be honest.

"It wasn't about sitting back after winning a trophy, I needed that single-mindedness to have the final then focus on the next game and try to stay in the team."

Paperwork issues left Portadown relegated out of senior football for the 2008/09 campaign but Hunter signed from Crusaders with a drive to restore the Shamrock Park outfit to the top-flight table.

"I knew it wasn't a second-tier squad, they got relegated for events off the pitch,” he said. "Plus I'd injuries at Crusaders and wasn't happy with how it all ended there, so had that mindset of wanting to prove to myself I could still go and win.

"We were everybody's World Cup final that season so there was a sense of pressure because you would be expected to win every league game.

"The cup run was different then because we played a lot of top-flight teams...we wanted to show those teams we still had that top-flight quality.

"My opinion was Kevin Braniff or Wesley Boyle could play for any team in the country. Before the final I was joking with Wes he was a better player than Platini!

"Even someone like David McCullough was under the radar and when I moved to Distillery I recommended to Tommy Wright they try to sign him.

"I was looking at a clip online of Gary McCutcheon's goal the other day.

"I really loved my time at Portadown and made great friends...I was fortunate to always have a great connection with the Ports supporters and when they would sing my name I’d just laugh, it was such a great lift.

"After beating Portadown in the final with Distillery I still got a great reception from the fans, which meant a lot.”

Hunter moved to join Distillery in search of regular gametime – and ended up facing former club Portadown in the 2011 final.

"We had me, ‘Spike’ (Glenn Ferguson) and Pat McShane but then a group of kids...but Tommy Wright was just fantastic,” said Hunter. "He was a brilliant man-manager.

"He brought our scorers off the bench in Scott Davidson and David Cushley and I know he would have been saying 'go and prove me wrong’.

"That was probably the most satisfying League Cup win because no-one expected it.”