'You never feel secure in the job' - Blues boss Healy

Linfield manager David Healy has guided the club to six Irish Premiership titles

Linfield manager David Healy has spoken about the pressures and weight of expectation he feels as boss of the Irish League's most successful club after securing a record-extending 57th league title for the Blues and a first since 2022.

Glentoran's 2-2 draw with Larne on Tuesday night left the south Belfast club with an unassailable 19-point lead at the top of the Premiership table with six sets of fixtures still remaining.

For Northern Ireland men's record goalscorer Healy it is a sixth league championship triumph as Linfield manager and a 12th trophy success in total during his tenure.

Larne had collected the Gibson Cup in each of the last two years, ending a period of Linfield domination which saw them crowned champions for four consecutive years.

"The expectation level is there and it will always be there. When you don't win a league title for a year at Linfield it's a challenge, when you don't win it for two years it's a crisis," Healy reflected in an interview with BBC Sport NI.

"My job is under pressure at Linfield week in, week out, at Linfield, game by game. You never ever feel as if you're secure in your job.

"It shows we haven't gone away but the challenge at Linfield is always the next one.

"Maybe previously we didn't strengthen from a position of strength so it's important now when you do win the league title that every little preparation for the European games, every preparation to retain the league title will be set in place and we'll try and do as best we can."

'A bit surprising'

Linfield made history by becoming the first club to secure a title success before the split into the top and bottom half of the table for the final five matches of the season takes place.

"Probably a bit surprising given that everyone talks about the competitive nature of the league, which is still there," Healy reflected.

"For us as a club to be at this point of getting over the line is incredible. The players and the rest of the staff need to take great credit.

"There have been periods during the season when we were so limited because of injuries and again as a club we rallied together. We stuck in some of the younger players when they were maybe not quite ready. They've got a taste for it and they'll improve for the experience.

"We always try to bring youthful fresh-faced kids in and around the squad and we've done that pretty well this year."

The Linfield boss highlighted the deaths of club physiotherapist Paul Butler and former player Michael Newberry as making their latest title success more poignant.

"There were many challenges, going right back to the start when we lost a trusted friend in Paul Butler. Not just a staff member but a huge loss for the football club, staff and players," said Healy.

"Then in and around Christmas time you get the devastating news about Michael Newberry. Even though he was a Cliftonville player at the time we still felt the full force of that. Many of our players were close friends with 'Newbs'.

"We lost another staff member, Andy Kerr, most recently, so there have been challenges off the pitch and challenges on the pitch."

'We're certainly deserved winners'

Joel Cooper has been Linfield's top scorer this season on their way to Gibson Cup success

Healy added that everyone involved at Linfield should take "great pride and joy in the success" and the way it has been achieved.

"We're league champions for a reason because we've been the best team this year, the most consistent team, we've scored the most goals, won the most home games, won the most away games and conceded the fewest goals so we're certainly deserved winners.

"We've done it on the last day of the season before and that can be dramatic but we'll take the league trophy any way we get it, especially having not won it over the past few years.

"Larne deserve a lot of credit - they have kicked everyone's backsides the last couple of years on and off the pitch so it's important for me and for us as a football club not only to be regaining the trophy but the manner in which we've done it."

Healy was linked with a move to Scottish Championship club Raith Rovers in August but opted to stay at Linfield, signing a contract extension to extend his stay at the helm until 2026.

"Some people say that I basically mugged the club off earlier in the season with extending my contract even though I hadn't had success for a couple of years in terms of winning the league, even though we won the League Cup.

"But the people inside the football club and me, more importantly, knew that I wanted to stay here and showed huge loyalty to the football club and the players that we re-signed in the summer," he said.