'Totally focused' David Healy confirms Linfield deal as he rejects Raith Rovers: 'Everyone knows that I am passionate about this club'
David Healy has rejected interest from Raith Rovers to remain as Linfield manager – declaring “everyone knows that I am passionate about this club and I am totally focused on achieving further success”.
Reports over the weekend suggested Raith Rovers’ interest in the former Northern Ireland international had reached a point of personal terms agreed over a switch to the Scottish Championship club, with Healy’s current Linfield deal in the final year.
However, it is understood negotiations by Linfield officials in the past few days resulted in fresh terms on a contract extension for Healy to stay with the Windsor Park club – now confirmed by the Blues as a one-year deal until the end of the 2025/26 campaign.
Healy told the official club website: “I am pleased that the club was prepared to extend my contact at Linfield and I am thankful to the Board for the support they have given me.
"Everyone knows that I am passionate about this club and I am totally focused on achieving further success during the remainder of my contract.
“We have made a solid start to the season and I am delighted to continue working with this squad of players who share my determination to bring further success to the club.”
Healy will now move past a decade as Blues boss, having taken over in October 2015 as Warren Feeney’s successor – winning five Irish League titles, three League Cup crowns and two Irish Cups.
Healy has been linked in the past to Preston North End and Grimsby Town.
Linfield chairman Roy McGivern told the official club website: “We are delighted that David has committed to the club for a further year and would commend him for the loyalty he has shown to the club.
"We are now totally focused on bringing further success to the club and believe that retaining David’s services as manager is key to achieving that.
“I trust that this will put an end to the recent speculation about David’s future at the club and we now look ahead to our next fixture against Portadown on Friday night with David hopefully leading us to three points to maintain our excellent start to the season.
"The target this season is to bring the Gibson Cup back to Windsor Park and I know that our loyal supporters will fully get behind the manager and the team to help us achieve that aim.”
Now, with Healy’s deal in place, the focus will be on wrestling the Gibson Cup title crown away from back-to-back Premiership champions Larne.