Former Linfield star Darren Murphy insists “it certainly doesn’t surprise me” that David Healy has the Blues challenging at the Premiership’s summit once again.

Healy has collected six Gibson Cup crowns across his successful tenure at Windsor Park, but it was widely expected that Coleraine and Larne – the two pre-season favourites with bookmakers – would fight it out for title glory this term.

While still only 15 matches into a long season, Linfield are setting the early pace, moving one point clear at the top after collecting a second win over the Bannsiders on Saturday.

The 3-0 triumph extended Linfield’s unbeaten league run to 14 matches and continued their superb home record – no team has collected more points (19) or conceded fewer goals (five) at their own stadium this term than the Blues.

placeholder image — Linfield manager David Healy celebrates his side's victory over Coleraine. (Photo by David Maginnis/Pacemaker Press)

Having served as Healy’s assistant for two of his title wins, Murphy has witnessed first-hand the Northern Ireland legend’s dedication – and feels the enormity of managing the Blues “sometimes goes under the radar”.

"I think a lot of people are surprised, but I'm certainly not,” Murphy told the News Letter. “I know how much time, dedication and hard work David, Ross (Oliver) and George (McCartney) will be putting in.

"I know how detailed David is and it’s irrelevant which team they're playing, the same homework gets done.

"I think the job that David Healy has done at Linfield is remarkable considering you're having to manage the demands...it's a football club built on so much success, so much tradition.

"You're managing that, but then you're managing it in an environment now where you're competing with Coleraine, Glentoran and Larne, then the other teams around them like Cliftonville, Ballymena and Dungannon.

"For David to still have won six league titles considering the competition, with the amount of investment that has come into NIFL, just shows how good of a job it is.

"Sometimes that goes under the radar and is missed, just how difficult it is to manage Linfield, even if there wasn't the current competition and climate in the Premiership.

"The league is really, really competitive now. In my day as a player, if Linfield or Glentoran came knocking on the door, you were there right away.

"They still are the ‘Big Two’, by the way, there's nobody bigger.

"For David to have done what he's done is remarkable, but it certainly does not surprise me because I know the amount of hours, time and effort that he puts into the Linfield Football Club, he's fully dedicated to it.”