Chris Shields out to repeat his Dundalk Euro heroics with Linfield

Champions League

Linfield's new signing Chris Shields played against Arsenal in the Europa League group stage last season. Pic: INPHO/Tommy Dickson

New beginning: Chris Shields has twice featured in the Europa League group stage with Dundalk

Linfield's new signing Chris Shields played against Arsenal in the Europa League group stage last season. Pic: INPHO/Tommy Dickson

©INPHO/Tommy Dickson

New beginning: Chris Shields has twice featured in the Europa League group stage with Dundalk

Linfield's new signing Chris Shields played against Arsenal in the Europa League group stage last season. Pic: INPHO/Tommy Dickson

Steven Beacom Twitter

July 06 2021 07:00 AM

A legend in Dundalk, Chris Shields is determined to become a hero with Linfield, starting in tonight’s Champions League battle with Lithuanian outfit Zalgiris Vilnius.

The 30-year-old midfielder knows what it takes for an Irish club to be a success in Europe. On two occasions, he was part of a Dundalk team that qualified for the Europa League group phase.

The dream for the Blues is one day to advance to a similar stage.

Manager David Healy is realistic enough to know that even if his side overcome Zalgiris in the first qualifying round, they aren’t going to make it to the group phase in the competition won by Chelsea in May, but there is a feeling at Windsor Park that reaching that point over the next couple of seasons in the Europa League or more so the Europa Conference League is not beyond them.

Healy won’t currently be bothered about those competitions, both of which they could end up playing in this term depending on their Champions League results.

Only the first leg away to Zalgiris will interest him. The same goes for Shields, a League of Ireland great and Oriel Park icon, as illustrated by the emotional scenes amongst Dundalk supporters when he left the most successful club in the south in the last decade for the one with the same mantle in the north.

Fresh from a friendly appearance at the weekend versus St Mirren, Shields will make his competitive Linfield debut tonight in the middle of the park alongside skipper Jamie Mulgrew, playing a record-breaking 41st time in Europe for the club.

Shields was in attendance at Linfield’s famous home win over Qarabag in the Europa League two years ago and wants to experience that glory himself in a blue shirt.

“I was at the Qarabag game in 2019 and I saw how brilliant that night was at Windsor and my job now is to try and help create nights like that again,” he said ahead of tonight’s match in Lithuania.

“I’m looking forward to the game. It’s far better to make your debut in a match of such importance. These are games you relish as a player.

“I love playing in Europe and have enjoyed my time in Europe, I’m very lucky to have played in the group stages of the Europa League twice. Progressing in Europe is something I want to do with this group of players now.”

A winner of five leagues and three FAI Cups with Dundalk, Shields is the biggest arrival at Windsor so far this summer. Talented youngster Andrew Clarke has joined from Crusaders with former Ayr defender Sam Roscoe and Scottish goalkeeper Jack Rudd also brought on board into the new full-time set up.

Healy insists more will follow as he looks to rebuild a squad that has lost the experience of Andy Waterworth, Mark Haughey and Mark Stafford to Glenavon and last season’s top scorer Shayne Lavery to Blackpool with Joel Cooper returning to Oxford United after his successful loan spell helping the Blues to a league and cup double.

Healy said: “By the time the (domestic) season starts — and maybe by a stage next week — we’ll have one, two, maybe three more players in through the door. That’s the aim.

“We’ve got big players in the changing room and it would be nice to have one or two more in but we’ll pick our time and our moment and when the right player becomes available after hefty negotiations, hopefully we can get someone through the door.”

Meanwhile, Larne have signed former Republic of Ireland Under-21 defender Cian Bolger following his exit from Northampton.

The 29-year-old started his professional career with Leicester in 2010 and went on to play in more than 300 games in the English Football League.

Chris Shields out to repeat his Dundalk Euro heroics with Linfield

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