I’ll shuffle my deck to take Linfield back to the pinnacle again, vows David Healy

The Irish Cup Final loss to Cliftonville is a heartbreaking end to Matthew Clarke’s time with the club, while Daniel Finlayson may also leave the Blues as his contract expires.

Winger Jordan Stewart could move on, with Michael Newberry expected to join Cliftonville.

“There will be players out of contract, and two or three players involved in the Final will leave,” said Healy after his side’s 3-1 loss to Cliftonville in Saturday’s showpiece.

“Hopefully, a few options for us will become available in June.

“I thank the players for a hard slog since last June.

“A lot of them have emptied the tank, and they are hurting, they will feel that was a trophy that got away from them.”

Newberry joined the Blues in 2021 and has won the title at Windsor Park but has not been a regular starter recently.

Teenage forward Braiden Graham is on his way to Everton, while Scottish club Livingston are interested in Clarke, who is also admired by Coleraine.

Castlederg man Clarke has enjoyed a testimonial season in recognition of 10 years of stellar service to the club.

The former Rangers youngster has helped deliver a significant trophy haul, including five League titles and two Irish Cups.

Saturday’s Cup Final loss left Healy and his players shattered, but the former Northern Ireland striker felt it shone a light into why they have fallen short in the pursuit for the big prizes.

“To be honest, we weren’t close in the League and missed opportunities,” he reflected.

“We failed to capitalise on other teams’ misfortune. You try to give the players information they will need going forward, and the Final illustrated why we didn’t win the League Championship.

“We made mistakes in crucial periods and got punished.

“There’s not a general concern where Larne are. They haven’t poked us in the back of the neck and said, ‘We are here’. They have been building the club for years and progressing.

“Clubs like ourselves and others need to have a look at different things we can improve around our own infrastructure to regain success.

“Larne are back-to-back champions, and we need to find ways of catching them. We need to do things better in-house.

“It’s well-documented we don’t have an investor who won’t want a return on it. Larne are upskilling people as they move forward, and we need to keep pace with them.

“My instinct is onto the next one. When I lost the first Cup Final against Glenavon, I kept the runner-up medal in the car where I could see it on a daily basis to remind me I was second best and a loser on the day.

“People get motivated by different things, but I will do the same with this one. We need to do better, and that will be my motivation from pre-season.”

The Belfast Telegraph disclosed on Saturday that the Blues would consider selling up to 49 per cent of the club to outside investors.

The club informed members of their plans at their Annual General Meeting on Friday night.

The south Belfast side will not sell a controlling interest but will consider some form of outside investment if it is right for the club.

Healy added: “The investment issue was discussed at the AGM, but again, nothing will be done at the club with it being a members’ club, and people think we are handed money by the Irish FA, but you are entitled to rental income.

“Other clubs get amounts when youth internationals play. The general income is shop sales, European revenue and young players going across the water. It’s a hard business.

“People probably think Linfield are incredibly rich. With respect to potential investment, nothing ever gets passed without an EGM.”

Healy also extended his best wishes to young Cliftonville defender Odhran Casey, who suffered a horrible leg injury just before half-time.

Casey was stretchered off and taken to hospital while his team-mates set about fighting their way back into the Final.

Cliftonville were able to win the prize and bring it with them on a visit to check on the 22-year-old.

“It looked a fair-contact tackle, but when you see a young player in that much pain, my first response is to make sure the kid is okay, which I did,” said Healy.

“It was not pleasant viewing, I knew straight away he was in serious pain, and I sincerely hope he makes a good recovery.

“I have seen him progress as a young player, and as a father with feelings, I wanted to make sure he was okay.”