'He’s not a bad player!': Performance of Linfield teen sensation comes as 'no surprise' to David Healy
Linfield manager David Healy admits it came as “no surprise” that teenage sensation Kalum Thompson seized a senior opportunity against Larne having watched his progression closely for many years.
The 16-year-old, who racked up three Premiership appearances earlier this season as the Blues dealt with an injury crisis, started at Inver Park on Friday evening and marked the occasion by firing home his maiden goal.
Thompson has played a key role in Linfield Swifts’ NIFL Development League title success this term and was also joined on the pitch by team-mates Jon Graham, Kenzie Beattie, Liam Burns, Callum Leacock and Alex Watson.
With Linfield sealing champion status before the split, Healy has been able to rotate heavily and hand opportunities to some of the club’s young stars, and Northern Ireland’s record goalscorer was impressed by Thompson’s contribution.
"He’s not a bad player, KT!” Healy told the club’s media channel. “I’ve seen KT for three or four years now and you know the capabilities.
"When you see the level of KT and the quality he has, it’s no surprise when you see him come to the home of the ex-champions, a big night on TV and perform at that level.
"The others who got their debuts, that will hopefully stand them in good stead going forward and we’ll hopefully have a look at one or two around pre-season, see the development they make over the summer and hopefully make a contribution going forward.”
Healy’s attention has already turned to pre-season preparations as Linfield target a strong European run.
They’ll discover their Champions League first round qualifying opponents on June 17 with victory ensuring at least a Conference League play-off as they look to follow in Larne’s footsteps by reaching a major competition, which banks a significant financial windfall.
"Things have been in place for a little while,” added Healy. “The players are fully aware of the schedule, their return to training date and what they need to be doing in the off-season.
"Last season we were in the Irish Cup final so had a week more...it’s important we use that time ahead of the European game and do things correctly over the next week.
"We will get all the data and results we need and make sure when we return to training in June they are finely tuned to deliver a strong European run.”