David Healy 'bursting with pride' at latest Linfield silverware success and wants to keep pushing for more

Ben Hall’s header and a Luke Wilson own goal handed the Blues a two-goal half-time advantage before Rhys Annett’s strike after the break all but secured success.

Eamon Fyfe gave the superb travelling Ports support something to cheer about by netting a consolation for Niall Currie’s outfit, but it wasn’t enough to stop Healy’s men defending their crown, which is an 11th major honour for the ex-Northern Ireland international in just over eight years at the Linfield helm.

The 44-year-old will hope his side can use Sunday’s win as a platform to go on and achieve even greater things this season with an Irish Cup semi-final against Big Two rivals Glentoran coming up later this month while they’ll continue to chase down league leaders Larne.

"To win any trophy at Linfield, especially a major trophy like the League Cup, Irish Cup and Premiership, that is the main objective and will continue to be,” he said. “Days like today with 9,000 here and last year when there was 10,500 here, it is an opportunity and platform in a major final to go and express yourself.

"I’m chuffed to bits even though I don’t always have that persona of being excitable. Inside I’m bursting with pride.

“At this football club standards have already been set and what I’m trying to do is not only maintain the standards but improve them.

"My job is to continue to be a successful manager and follow previous successful managers.”

While Healy will ultimately be judged on the amount of trophies he wins at the Irish League’s most successful club, he admits the main source of satisfaction comes from seeing his players improve and seizing opportunities.

"When you win trophies initially you are relieved and excited,” he added. “I’m incredibly proud of every game that we win, every trophy we win and every success that we have.

“The most enjoyable thing I get out of this is seeing the development and improvement of the players, be that players that have gone across the water or players that have been here and are still here – players like Kyle McClean and Jamie Mulgrew striving to better day in, day out and year in, year out.

"That’s the motivation I have – not just winning trophies.

“We can be a strict dressing room at times – in a very professional way – because that’s the standards that I try and set and more importantly for me, we have players in the dressing room setting their own standards.”