Half-time Chats: Chris McKee dreaming of another chance across the water
Lauren McCann
Linfield striker Chris McKee lived every Blues fan’s dream in May as he scored the winning goal on his birthday to help his boyhood club clinch a historic 56th league title.
After signing on a permanent deal in the summer upon the expiration of his Rangers contract, the young forward was recently a guest on The Sporty Scoop to discuss Linfield’s slow start to the season, his time at Rangers and his hopes of securing another cross channel move in the future.
What have you made of the start to the season Linfield have had after the disappointment of Europe?
“We’ve had a slow start in the league, there is no beating around the bush but the last six or seven games we’ve been unbeaten and picking up points, getting up the table. I think it’s safe to say anyone in the top six can kick on and challenge for the title this year.
I think coming off the back of Europe, from such a high to such a low point with not being able to qualify for the group stages it was very tough, but games come thick and fast in this league and we just wanted to get back, kick on from there and forget about it. Obviously, it didn’t go like that, and people might say it was a hangover from Europe but in my opinion it wasn’t anything to do with Europe, we just lacked some form.”
You’re aiming to win your second successive league title with the club, how special was last year’s historic title win for you?
“Coming back on loan to Linfield was mad. I always dreamed of playing for them, when I got my first goal it was great but to pick up a league title was a dream come true. Scoring in the last game of the season to win it made it a bit more enjoyable. Over the course of the rest of the season after coming in January it was up and down but we got results we needed going into the final day. Cliftonville were amazing last year and just in the last game of the season they were hoping for us to slip up and we didn’t.”
How did your loan move materialise initially?
“At Rangers I was doing well but in my last six months I picked up a bad injury and things went stale. I didn’t think I was going to get pushed on anymore towards the first team, so I needed to go out on loan and get first team experience to kickstart my career somewhere else. When I could come back to Linfield it was a no-brainer, having been there before and thankfully when I did come back it worked out for me. They came to me in March to say they wanted me to sign permanently and that’s what I wanted so I was delighted to get it sorted.
This year I’ve been in and out of the team but I want to knuckle down my place in the starting team and score lots of goals. It’s in the back of my mind I want to go back across the water, that is my aim, I’m not going to lie about that, but in the short term I want to cement my place and win trophies. Kofi Balmer and Trai Hume are such good examples of what I want to do. They’ve reaped the rewards of coming through the Irish League and doing well. I just need to keep my head down and keep working hard.”
What is it like working with David Healy?
“It’s brilliant working with David, he can give me the tips from when he was playing as a striker. It’s also challenging as he was such good striker he demands so much but I think that pressure is good, it makes us want to get better. On the pitch we also have a strong core of winners who have won multiple league titles and know what is needed to win so it’s ideal being a young player there, I can learn so much from everyone.”
How do you reflect on your time at Rangers, was it difficult to adapt?
“I was in Club NI from the age of 12 so I was training full-time anyway here, so physically I adapted quite well when I moved. I was going over to Rangers from the age of 14 so it made it an easy transition when I went permanently. I settled in straight away and I was never homesick. What an experience I had, if I could I would do it all again.
Even though it didn’t work out and I didn’t play for the first team I wouldn’t change where I am now. I’m happy now, so hopefully I can do well now and kick on.”
Have you seen an improvement in coaching in Northern Ireland to help players prepare for the move across the water?
“I wouldn’t be the player I am today without that full-time training from Club NI. Players in England and Scotland are almost full-time with their club from a young age so people here without Club NI and doing extra training sessions can fall behind quickly as they are so far ahead in their academies in England. It’s getting so much better now with full-time academies at Irish League clubs and the Elite Performance school and it’s going to leave players in better stead to move across the water.”
To listen to the full interview, make sure to check out The Sporty Scoop on Spotify.
Lauren McCann is The Scoop’s Sport Editor and an English and Spanish student at Queen’s University Belfast.