Linfield star Chris Shields looking to tick off a missing title from his career collection

​Sixteen of those came during a hugely successful nine-and-a-half seasons with Dundalk – including five League of Ireland crowns – where he became a fan favourite and club legend, as proven by the wonderful send-off he got from the Oriel Park faithful.

He helped Linfield retain their Danske Bank Premiership title in his maiden season at Windsor Park where he was also named the club’s Player of the Year...but with the Irish Cup and BetMcLean Cup still missing from his almost-overflowing trophy cabinet, the 32-year-old will be looking to tick another off his list when the Blues take on Coleraine tomorrow.

"Like many lads in the changing room I'm no stranger to finals and big games,” he said. “These are always ones I enjoy.

"There's no point going out with fear or nervousness because they can pass you by in the blink of an eye.

"Any final or semi-final that I've got to or a really crunch league game I've always relished and tried to enjoy and Sunday will be no different.

"It shows the trajectory of the way the league is at the minute.

"There's a real positive spin on the Irish League at the minute and the League Cup is another jewel in the crown.

"The league is gathering more attention, there are more people at games and if you had said a few years ago that there would be 11 or 12 thousand at a League Cup final I don't think many would have believed it."

Linfield are the most successful team in the history of this competition but have only won it once since 2008, which seems like an anomaly when you compare it to the eight league titles and five Irish Cups they have picked up in the same period.

Their run this season started with a 5-1 victory over Moyola Park at Mill Meadow in September before further wins against Dundala, Annagh United and rivals Glentoran in the semi-final - and Shields admits this is a competition they targeted from the beginning with an aim of setting the record straight.

"That was probably one of the gaffer's first lines in the first cup game down at Moyola,” he added. “He said this is a cup you as a group, because there are a lot of boys here before I came and that are here a long time together, that probably haven't won it.

"It's a good trophy to win. I've won a few of them down south myself and I always enjoyed winning them because they are that wee bit earlier before the league and Irish Cup are handed out.

"It's a cup you definitely want to win. You want to be counting your medals at the end of your career and this would be a major one.

"The players that didn't play in it last year were sitting watching it and thinking you wanted to be a part of it.

"Being a part of it this year is something to look forward to and it's a chance to win a trophy before the real business end of the season.

"Any game at this stage of the season you have to relish because it is the business end of the season and a club like Linfield are expecting to be in and around everything – that's no different this year.”

This final provides a welcome distraction from the rigours and pressure of league football, where defending champions Linfield are locked in another title race with current leaders Larne and Cliftonville.

Their goalless draw at Inver Park on Tuesday night means they are seven points adrift with seven games still to play and Shields is looking forward to tomorrow’s encounter before switching focus to what could be an intense run-in over the next couple of months.

"I think it's good (to have the distraction of a cup final so close to the end of the league) because it's coming up to split time and that's really going to be a season-defining four weeks of April,” he said.

“To have a piece of silverware a few weeks before that madness of April starts is nice, not so much a distraction, but to have the eye on.”

The former Bray man is also under no illusions about how difficult the task at hand is against a Coleraine side that will be extra motivated after losing last season’s decider to Cliftonville in heart-breaking fashion almost a year ago to the very day.

Shields scored a penalty against the Bannsiders in their recent 2-0 league victory at Windsor Park.

But with the two meetings prior to that both ending in goalless draws, he’s expecting another tough test against what he considers the “best squad” Coleraine boss Oran Kearney has had at his disposal during his time in charge at the Showgrounds.

"There was nothing between us in the two 0-0 games in the first two league games and for ourselves it was important to get a win (in our last match against Coleraine),” he said.

"The old cliches come out - form goes out the window, especially in a cup final, but being in football as long as I have that is the case because it's a one-off match.

"They have a lot of experienced players and I feel this is Oran's best squad he's had over the years.

"They've always been a good cup team and they'll have players relishing the opportunity too."