Linfield's Kyle McClean relishing high-stakes 'Big Two' derby clash with Glentoran

​The Linfield midfielder will travel to tackle Glentoran at The Oval bolstered by a goal-scoring performance in last weekend’s 4-0 win over Ballymena United.

Having scored the third goal against Ballymena to help push David Healy’s Blues back into first place in the Sports Direct Premiership, McClean admits life is good at Linfield.

And next up on the fixture list for a Linfield side back on track following the recent loss to defending champions Larne is a date with Glentoran McClean appreciates from a perspective on and off the pitch.

“I used to go and watch them when I was younger and it's a big thing to play in,” said McClean on the official Linfield social media platforms following the Ballymena win. “I've played in quite a few now, they're always well-contested, you don't get a lot of time on the ball.

“Especially going over to their place, we look forward to it.”

McClean started both the October league win over Glentoran at Windsor Park and last month’s BetMcLean Cup success at The Oval.

“We've played them twice already this season and they've been two positive results,” he said. “So we'll look to go into that game with confidence and, hopefully, go and get a good result.”

The Glens’ preparations for the crunch clash featured a midweek Co Antrim Shield semi-final triumph over Carrick Rangers but inconsistent league form has left Warren Feeney’s players trailing Linfield by 15 points having played an extra game.

Linfield make the derby journey with confidence thanks to a single defeat across 12 fixtures.

"We were all very disappointed with the winning run coming to an end, we regrouped and trained well,” said McClean. “It's a good group, we're very close-knit and we're all fighting for each other and working every day...it's a good atmosphere.”

And McClean will draw personal confidence from his appearance on the scoresheet against Ballymena.

“I just kept trying to make runs into the box,” he said. “The ball got clipped forward, it was a great touch from 'Coops' (Joel Cooper) into my path, I took a touch, shifted it and hit it and, thankfully, it went in.”