Linfield goalkeeper Gareth Deane has relished the pressure of being an unlikely hero for David Healy's champions-elect this season.
Parachuted into regular first team action in January because of a serious knee injury to Roy Carroll, the young shot stopper has stepped up in impressive fashion.
Making crucial saves and keeping six clean sheets in nine league appearances since the turn of the year, the 24-year-old has emerged as a dependable last line of defence.
Fans and onlookers who urged Healy to recruit a more experienced shot stopper to replace Carroll three months ago have been royally silenced.
“It was a big call when the manager put me into the team back in January and I think a lot of people doubted me,” said Deane.
“I saw a lot of people writing me off, but I think I’ve come through that well and the lads have looked after me. The manager also showed a lot of faith in me.
“I knew people were saying I wouldn’t be able to cope, but it honestly didn’t bother me. I enjoy pressure and that’s why I signed for this club because I want to win trophies.
“I thrive under pressure and I love it. For me, it’s a plus. When you sign for Linfield the demand is there to win trophies and I enjoy that kind of pressure.”
Deane, who has made 42 appearances for Linfield since returning home from QPR in 2012, believes the heat of a title race has moulded him into a better player.
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Since making a crucial penalty save in his first league outing of the season in a 2-0 win at Newry City 11 weeks ago, he hasn’t looked back.
The lifelong Blues fan said: “I think you grow as a player the more games you play and I also can’t praise the boys around me enough. It’s a privilege to play in this team.
“It’s brilliant playing in front of defenders like Jimmy Callacher, who’s in the running for the Ulster Player of the Year award, and Josh Robinson.
“You know if you do make a mistake they can bail you out and be there for you. Jimmy’s record in scoring goals this season (he has 10) is also unbelievable.”
Deane, who won the Shield with the Blues two years ago, helped the South Belfast club secure the League Cup in February thanks to a 1-0 win over Ballymena United at Windsor Park.
“I remember losing the Irish Cup final to Glenavon three years ago (Healy’s men lost 2-0 in the showpiece) and it wasn’t a nice feeling,” he said.
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“I have done everything to get that final experience out of my head and it was brilliant winning a major trophy like the League Cup this season. It meant a lot.”
Deane, Healy and company now stand on the brink of the ultimate prize - delivering a 53rd league title to the Windsor Park trophy cabinet.
In truth, the Gibson Cup is already bound for Windsor because of a vastly superior goal difference, but they can complete the job mathematically this weekend.
If Ballymena fail to beat Cliftonville at Solitude or Linfield secure a point at home to reigning champions Crusaders, they’re home and dry.
“The manager reminded us after the Ballymena game that our season isn’t done yet,” he said.
“We want to target maximum points from our remaining four league games and finish as strongly as we can.”
Lifting the League Cup and standing on the brink of title glory represents quite a turnaround for Linfield considering where they were just 12 months ago.
Healy’s men finished the 2017/18 campaign trophyless and missed out on European qualification for the first time in 15 years.
“Last season was a big disappointment for everyone - the fans, players and coaching staff,” said Deane.
“But the manager spoke to us in pre-season, laid out his plans and the lads have stuck to them, Our aim now is to make sure we win the title mathematically on Saturday.”
Deane reserved one of his best performances of the season for last Friday’s top of the table clash with David Jeffrey’s Ballymena at the Showgrounds.
Producing a superb one handed save to deny Andy McGrory’s first half free-kick, he also made a crucial block to deny McGrory in a one-on-one in the second half.
An Andy Waterworth strike after the break secured a crucial 1-0 win for the Blues who marched 12 points clear of United with four games to play.
Remarkably, it was Linfield’s 20th clean sheet in 34 league games - they have conceded just 21 goals across the Premiership campaign - and their 25th in all competitions.
“It’s an incredible record and the lads deserve a lot of credit,” he said.
“With our defensive record this season, we always knew if we got a goal at Ballymena, we’d have a big chance of going on to win the game.”
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