Over a decade on from denying Portadown cup glory, Gary Thompson now determined to lead them to BetMcLean Cup success against Linfield

Thompson, who arrived at the County Armagh club from Crusaders last summer, was part of a Lisburn Distillery side that picked up a 2-1 victory over the Ports in 2011 as Scott Davidson and David Cushley struck after Matthew Tipton had handed the Ports a lead at Mourneview Park.

Fast forward 13 years later and Thompson will almost certainly be donning the Portadown captain’s armband as Niall Currie’s charges look to upset the club which he started out with.

The 33-year-old had spent virtually his entire career in the top-flight before joining the Ports’ bid to achieve immediate promotion back to the Premiership promised land and he has certainly been a hit.

Having won this competition before, enjoyed Irish Cup success with Crusaders and played his part in some huge European nights, including when Stephen Baxter’s side tackled Premier League outfit Wolves, Thompson thought the biggest stages may have been assigned to history, but this latest chapter has only helped provide more memories.

“Leaving Crusaders at the back end of my career, I thought my final days were finished,” he said. “We’ve got here the hard way by beating Crusaders, Loughgall and Glenavon.

“This will be my fifth League Cup final. I’d three with Ballymena United, although I was injured for the final against Dungannon Swifts in 2018.

“Cliftonville beat us 3-2 (in 2015) and I was in the Ballymena team that beat Carrick (2017). I’ve some fond memories.

“I was in the Lisburn Distillery side that beat Portadown – that feels like a lifetime ago. When you look at the final these days and the way it is promoted by NIFL, it seems like a totally different occasion.

“I can’t believe that I’m in another final at my age with a Championship club. You never know what happens on the day.”

Thompson’s experience, alongside that of Paul McElroy, Ryan Mayse and Dougie Wilson, will be crucial as Portadown go toe-to-toe with the most successful club in Irish League history.

They’re just the third second-tier side to ever make it this far and Thompson won’t be backing down from the challenge of upsetting the odds.

“We have a lot of experience in our group,” he added. “Yes, Linfield are a full-time outfit – they are serial winners.

"It’s not just quality they have, it’s a mentality thing as well. It’s at Windsor Park, their home pitch – everything is in their favour.

“We understand that, but at the end of the day, its eleven versus eleven with a ball in the middle. We’ll be doing our best to write our own little chapter in the record books.

“Yes, we want to do it for ourselves, but we also want to do it for our supporters. Who knows? We have people who have won trophies, probably not at the same scale as the Linfield boys, but we’ve nothing to lose.

“We are underdogs; the pressure is all on them and we hope to use that in our favour. We must make sure we are ready for the challenge.”