BetMcLean Cup final moment 'the stuff I've dreamed of since I was young' for Linfield goal hero
Linfield’s BetMcLean Cup final goal hero Chris McKee admits his winning moment is “the stuff I've dreamed of since I was a young boy”.
With the showpiece decider seemingly heading to penalties after 117 goalless minutes at Windsor Park, McKee earned the Blues a spot-kick before confidently slotting home under immense pressure.
McKee was introduced off the bench ahead of extra-time and scored his ninth goal of the season across all competitions.
With the 23-year-old reportedly making a summer move to Ballymena United, McKee has struggled for consistent minutes this term – he hasn’t started for the Blues since a stalemate with Larne in mid-January.
McKee has also been an unused substitute in four of Linfield’s last six league matches, but he provided the decisive contribution on Sunday.
A boyhood Linfield supporter, McKee came through the youth ranks at Windsor Park before joining Scottish giants Rangers, and when it came to returning to Northern Ireland, he signed for the Blues once again.
"Everyone I've spoken to here, this is no word of a lie, but the gaffer and Jamie (Mulgrew) know this, it's the stuff I've dreamed of since I was a young boy and I was very emotional after I scored,” he said. “I’m still emotional now, but it's the stuff I've dreamed of
"So yeah, never mind scoring against Glentoran, I wanted to score and win leagues, win cup finals, and to do it today, it’s great.”
With Linfield’s regular penalty-taker Chris Shields ruled out for the season, McKee took on responsibility and always backed himself to deliver.
"Yeah, it was a penalty...it was going to be an opportunity,” he added. “As soon as I got it, I knew obviously that I was going to hit it and I knew what I wanted to do and thankfully it came off.
"I think if anyone was to tell you in that situation that they weren't nervous, they'd be lying, but I knew the technique that I wanted to do.
"It was obviously a huge occasion, but there was one thing I said to myself coming on, ‘don't go on and almost play the occasion and let it get to you and do anything stupid, just go on and take it as another game’. Thankfully it came off today.”