Matthew Fitzpatrick programme article
Posted : 13th July 2023
Linfield acted decisively to snap up centre-forward Matthew Fitzpatrick for an undisclosed fee after his 19-goal season for Glenavon last season and after much speculation, the 28-year-old tells ‘Look at Linfield’ that he’s delighted to join the Blues.
“It was a long process. I am really glad that all the speculation is over and that I am a Linfield player. When I heard that Linfield were interested in me, there was only one place I wanted to come. I am delighted to get it sorted and can’t wait to play my football here. I have got a career break from teaching, so that allows me to focus on football Full-Time, because I want to improve and I want to give everything into helping the Club to be successful – so yes, it suits me well.
“Of course, as a centre forward it can be difficult to gel into a new team and to forge that understanding with the rest of your teammates, but they have all been very welcoming and have helped me a lot. They are all good lads and I would say the week-long training camp we had in Spain recently was fruitful in that respect, too.”
As he reveals in this interview, many factors made Linfield an attractive proposition for ‘Fitzy’ - one being the lure of European football, and he can’t wait for tonight’s UEFA Conference League First Round, first leg tie against Albanian side KF Vllaznia at Windsor Park.
“I cannot wait for these European matches; when you get the opportunity to sign for Linfield, playing in Europe is one of the things that excites you. It will be a really tough task but the different styles of football always make it interesting. It will be a first for me because, although I had three great years with Glenavon, I never got to play in Europe for them.
“All of us are really looking forward to it and we’ve been working really hard across training and friendly matches to get ourselves prepared as well as we possibly can. It’s been tough but the result of that is that we are feeling sharp. I know how close Linfield were to the group stages in Europe last season and it just shows that the team is good enough to compete in Europe. Preparations have been very good but now it’s up to the players to perform on the pitch. I obviously hope I’ve done enough to earn a place in the team for a competitive debut… if that’s the case then I’ll be buzzing to get out in front of a big crowd at Windsor. Most important though is the team and we'll be aiming to take a positive result out to Albania next week.”
Fitzpatrick was a late starter to football, mostly due to his GAA exploits with Antrim. Following stints at Glentoran Reserves, Imacculata, and Belfast Celtic (formerly named Sport and Leisure Swifts), his first taste of the Irish League was when he signed for Coleraine in January 2020, aged 25. Covid halted that season early and meant he only made five appearances for the Bannsiders, before signing for Glenavon where he hit 46 goals in 116 appearances. So, for a 28-year-old, his mileage is low, and he thinks David Healy is the man to improve him further, as he enters his prime years, and he also hopes he’ll enjoy his first taste of major silverware during his Linfield career.
“Another one of the reasons I wanted to come here was because of the manager. Given his own playing background, as well as his track record of developing players and being successful, I believe that he can help me develop as a player, by working with me in training and giving me pointers on the pitch, so hopefully he can help me take my game to the next level.
“I obviously know what the Irish League is about and I know the pressure that comes with being a Linfield player. Again, it’s another reason why the Club is attractive to players. The pressure is a good pressure to have. You want to be in that environment with high standards and you want to have medals and major honours to look back on when you’ve finished playing. Everyone knows this is the biggest Club in the country and, having missed out on the title last season, our domestic objective probably goes without saying.”
A warm Windsor welcome to ‘Fitzy’ for what everyone associated with the Blues will hope to be a goal-filled, successful time ahead at the Club for our new number 29.