Linfield have 'unfinished business' in Europe - Healy

Europa Conference League first qualifying information first leg: Stjarnan v Linfield

Date: Thursday, 11 July Venue: Stjörnuvöllur Kick-off: 20:00 BST

Coverage: Text updates & study connected BBC Sport website & app

Linfield leader David Healy says his broadside person "unfinished business" successful nan Europa Conference League up of their first qualifying information first limb against Stjarnan.

The Blues were agonisingly beaten by Latvian broadside RFS 4-2 connected penalties successful nan last qualifying information earlier nan group shape successful 2022.

That was nan closest immoderate Irish Premiership broadside has travel to reaching nan group shape of a European title and Healy admits nan melodramatic conclusion still haunts him.

"For me, it is 1 I look backmost connected and deliberation it is simply a immense regret that we didn't advancement really we should person done," he told BBC Sport NI.

Healy continued: "We missed a aureate opportunity, I thought we were truthful bully connected nan nighttime and recovered a measurement not to spell through, truthful it is unfinished business."

Whilst his leader still thinks of nan loss, Linfield midfielder Chris Shields, who played successful some legs against RFS, is simply a patient believer of leaving that crippled successful nan past.

He does, however, dream that his broadside will return assurance from coming truthful adjacent to reaching nan group shape 2 years ago.

"You can't dwell connected it, aliases you'll ne'er get complete it and it will ever haunt you and you'll ne'er advancement nan measurement we want to progress," he admitted.

"It goes to show it is wrong an arm's reach. Last twelvemonth successful Europe wasn't nan champion for Irish League clubs but we've shown it is not excessively acold away. You request immoderate luck and pinch nan system, a scalp on nan way."

Linfield are backmost successful nan Europa Conference League having vanished 2nd successful nan Irish Premiership down Larne for a 2nd successive season.

Their European travel ended astatine nan 2nd qualifying information past play arsenic they mislaid 8-4 connected aggregate against Pogon Szczecin.

They look a travel to Iceland for their necktie pinch Stjarnan, who are six games into their home season.

The Blues had a lukewarm upwind training campy successful Poland and person played a number of friendlies to hole for nan first leg.

Healy conceded that it has been difficult to do a thorough study of nan guidance nevertheless and that Stjarnan's artificial transportation whitethorn airs a fewer problems.

The erstwhile Northern Ireland world besides confirmed that location are wounded worries complete "two aliases three" players.

"We spell into nan crippled unsighted sighted a bit, but we person done nan basal homework and each our activity is geared to getting done nan first round," he explained.

"They're not having nan champion of seasons, but we cognize they're tin of scoring goals, they're a young, diversion squad and it will beryllium a difficult venue for nan first limb pinch nan aboveground they play on."