Ex-Linfield star recalls 'unbelievable' Irish Cup memory and backs former club to secure further trophy glory against Cliftonville

Stafford, who arrived at Windsor Park from Ballinamallard United in 2015, was part of three Irish Cup final squads during his successful stay in Belfast – he was an unused substitute in their 2015/16 loss to Glenavon and 2020/21 victory over Larne – but playing in front of 12,000 on that May afternoon will always stick with him.

The previous weekend, Linfield had just reclaimed the Gibson Cup for a first time in five years, beating Cliftonville on the final day of the season at Solitude to pip defending champions Crusaders by two points, marking David Healy’s maiden major trophy success as manager.

Their 3-0 final victory over Coleraine is remembered for Andy Waterworth’s hat-trick – the first treble at that stage in 48 years – and Stafford feels that talented team hit the peak of its powers on the biggest occasion.

"We won the double that year and the County Antrim Shield - it's an unbelievable memory,” he recalls. “I remember the Linfield fans in the North Stand and it was the most surreal game I ever played in.

"That was a team that was at its peak. David went on to have great teams after that, but that team was at its pinnacle that day and it's not too often you play in a game where everybody is at it and flying, but we were.

“Winning the Gibson Cup for us was the big one because Linfield hadn't won it in a few years, so getting that over the line was huge pressure and we felt as if we were going into the Irish Cup final with the pressure off, which is a strange thing to say.

"That was the biggest crowd I'd ever played in front of at that time. It was an unbelievable feeling with that support. An Irish Cup final is very special with the whole build-up to it.

"To play that well in front of the supporters...they don't forget those sort of moments and neither do the players. Those days don't come around often and to play the way we did was some feeling."

According to Irish League statistician Marshall Gillespie, Waterworth scored 293 goals in 673 games with the ex-Hamilton ace consistently producing in key moments, and Stafford has tremendous respect for how the striker handled pressure.

"There's no better man than Andy Waterworth to put the chances away,” he added. “Andy Waterworth was the expert at arriving in the box at the right time and scoring those goals. Andy was a big-game player and made his career out of it.

"There's no doubt (that Linfield striker is the most pressurised position in the Irish League), purely because of the people that have came before you.

"When I signed for Linfield it took me a while to realise I'm never going to be as good as Noel Bailie or Winkie Murphy, so you have to come to terms with that and just be the best you can be to leave your mark - that's all you can do.

"Andy was going in after Glenn Ferguson and Pistol Pete (Thompson) and players like that - those boys are legends. Andy Waterworth did his own thing and he's up there with them as a fantastic player."

On today’s final, Stafford said: "I just think the way Linfield played against Larne showed me the way they can play in big games and I know the result didn't go their way, but I think there's one more big performance in them."