THE McFALL YEARS: Casey's boost from the boss after THAT miss

Casey arrived as a raw teenager in the early 1990s and left after almost a decade with a string of honours.

However, he accepts his career will remain defined for many by one incident.

“People still come up to me to this day and reference my miss against Glenavon that basically left Linfield as Irish League champions,” said Casey. “Winning the league title in 1996 thankfully helped to put that ghost to rest in many ways.

“At the time, Ronnie McFall just told me to forget the miss and focus on my ability.

“I would wish him all the best, as Ronnie always gave me his backing.

“He would watch the reserves and give you a word of advice or encouragement then, once I joined the firsts no matter what else, kept your confidence high.

“As a younger player, he used to phone my house on a Friday night to check everything was okay and I was ready for the game.

“I will always remember that support from Ronnie and when it came to putting together the title-winning squad he made some special signings like Gary Peebles and Garry Haylock.”