Kevin McHugh is prepared to go more than just an extra mile to end the season with a league championship winners medal.

Linfield’s newest recruit joined his team-mates for his first training session last night after doing a full days work and then driving for over an hour and a half to get to Windsor Park.

That will become routine for the striker after his move to the Blues from Derry City was completed at the weekend and his aim is that the round trip of some 150 miles-plus will reap rewards come May.

“After ten years in the League of Ireland and having to travel to Cork maybe three of four times a season and a lot of trips to Dublin I don’t see the travelling to Belfast being a problem for me,” said McHugh.

“I certainly hope that I can take it in my stride and I have no worries about it at this stage.

“JP Gallagher lives in Strabane, so we will be travelling back and forward together and that will be better than being on my own.”

And putting the mileage up on his car during the next two-and-a-half years comes after having no alternative but to end his stay at the Brandywell.

Unlike most players in the League of Ireland, McHugh also has a day job and aside from the balancing act of playing, working and training continuing to do that was no longer an option.

“I couldn’t go on juggling work and football and it wasn’t really something that I was going to be able to keep on doing,” said McHugh.

“Derry City are completely full-time now and although I could count on the fingers of one hand the number of training sessions I missed over the last couple of years it was hard training on a Monday morning and a Thursday morning and working as well and having to get time off to travel to games during the week as well.

“I spoke to the manager Stephen Kenny at the end of the season and I knew then that I wasn’t going to be able to continue.

“I wasn’t comfortable with it myself anymore either, I wasn’t able to put everything into playing and I didn’t feel as much part of the team as I had before.

“My employer was pretty good and understanding, but the way things have been going there wasn’t going to be enough cover for me if I wasn’t going to be in work.”

Now McHugh’s challenge is to become part of the Linfield team very quickly as they aim to claim the league and cup double for an unprecedented fourth successive season.

The 28-year-old is in-line to make his debut against Cliftonville tonight as the Blues aim to at least keep the pace with Glentoran, who lead the way in the title race by a single point after Saturday’s results.

“I know from playing against Linfield in the Setanta Cup and being at the last couple of home games that they are a club that demands success,” said McHugh.

“They are no different to Derry City really in that respect as the fans there are demanding too.

“The basic plan is to go on this season and win the league.

“I won the League Cup and the FAI Cup with Derry City, but the league was something I missed out on.

“It would have been nice to have stayed at Derry and won the league, but I am at Linfield now and my goal is to win the league here.”