Investment 'hugely important' for Linfield - Healy

Linfield manager David Healy says outside investment in the club will be "hugely important" if the Blues are to remain competitive in challenging for silverware in the coming years.

The south Belfast club finished fourth in the Irish Premiership this season, behind champions Larne, Coleraine and Glentoran.

They won the BetMcLean Cup in March and managed to progress to the Uefa Conference League first qualifying round by beating Dungannon Swifts 3-1 in the European play-off final at Windsor Park on Tuesday, courtesy of a Matthew Fitzpatrick hat-trick.

That victory will reap financial dividends which will help boost the club's coffers for the forthcoming season, but Healy says they are still trailing behind the clubs above them in the division in monetary terms.

"It's been well documented over the past 12 months. We're searching high and low for investment to come in," Healy told BBC Sport NI's Thomas Kane.

"That's going to be hugely important because, if not, it's alright getting the European money, and maybe getting through a round, but we have to generate money from somewhere and if it's not going to be generated, then there's the potential that we'll have to lose one or two of the players, who knows.

"The landscape has changed, Linfield, going back 25 years, could have hand-picked the best players from any football club in this country.

"The likelihood now is that one or two other clubs with significant investment are becoming a more attractive option.

"There probably has to be more of a realisation that we are no longer top of the tree regarding finances."

Significant financial backing has allowed Larne, Coleraine and Glentoran to attract footballing talent from across the island of Ireland and beyond, with the Bannsiders snatching star player Joel Cooper from the Blues for the start of the 2025-26 season.

"With the amount of money knocking about the Irish League these days I don't think it [money earned from qualifying for European competition] is life-changing for any club," added Healy.

"But a club like ours, where we're struggling for financial investment or a benefactor, we don't have that, any money that we do get, that we bring in, that we earn, is important.

"The money will help. Next year the budget is certainly going to be down on what it was two years ago, it's going to be down on last year.

"So when you go into next year we'll lose nine or 10 players out of the squad so it's about being selective, a wee bit more proactive in what we bring in."

Despite believing that the Blues trail their main rivals in respect of financial firepower, the Linfield manager knows that expectations remain high at historically the most successful club in the Northern Ireland game.

"Going into next year Linfield Football Club will be I imagine fourth best budget going into it.

"Some of the other part-time clubs will not be that far off, even though they are part-time, so we have a lot of work to do over the coming weeks.

"It doesn't matter where we stand in the budget table, the Linfield fans, it's written in stone around this football club, anyone who knows anything about Irish League football, knows the demands and expectations, so that's a challenge for me.

"It doesn't matter where we are, we're Linfield Football Club, but there's a realisation among most of the board, some of our supporters who sat through the AGM, where we went through the critical numbers, where we are going forward and what we need going forward."

Healy went on to commend his side's display in defeating Rodney McAree's Swifts side on Tuesday night.

"Without sounding disrespectful, I don't think 3-1 flattered us. We should have been further ahead at half-time. We let them off the hook at times with opportunities.

"We probably scored the second goal against the run of play and it was an important goal, it gives you that platform, that cushion to go on and win the game.

"All in all, I thought our performance levels were good. For me the past 17 days have been a huge learning curve about how you peak for a one-off game."

Healy went on to commend his side's display in defeating Rodney McAree's Swifts side on Tuesday night.

"Without sounding disrespectful, I don't think 3-1 flattered us. We should have been further ahead at half-time. We let them off the hook at times with opportunities.

"We probably scored the second goal against the run of play and it was an important goal, it gives you that platform, that cushion to go on and win the game.

"All in all, I thought our performance levels were good. For me the past 17 days have been a huge learning curve about how you peak for a one-off game."