Jim Magilton hoping Cliftonville can maintain unbeaten Premiership momentum at ground where he made his Irish League debut aged 15

​Ex-Northern Ireland international Magilton enjoyed a stellar career across the water, moving to Liverpool in 1986 before further spells at Oxford United, Southampton, Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich Town, where he is now an inductee in the club’s Hall of Fame, but it all started with a substitute appearance at the Showgrounds as a fresh-faced teenager.

His Reds side, who sit eight points adrift of leaders Linfield with one game in hand after putting together an unbeaten league run of eight matches, will be hoping to guard against a potential new manager bounce with former Cliftonville boss Barry Gray set to take charge of his first Premiership match since joining from Warrenpoint Town.

"There is a managerial bounce and there should be,” he said. "I expect that and being a good ex-manager here, he'll be up for it but we will be too.

"For every game we prepare in exactly the same manner, we train in exactly the same way and we will be ready for it.

"I actually made my debut for Distillery as a 15-year-old away to Newry.

"It's going to be a difficult game, we expect difficult encounters but it's important we impose our personality and character on the game.

"Momentum in football and confidence can be an unstoppable force, so we are building on the confidence of the players and we are making them believe.”

Former Celtic youngster Ben Wylie could be in line for his club debut after joining this week from Swedish side Ytterhogdals.