David Jeffrey has utmost respect for old pal Stephen Baxter

The duo made their name at Linfield during their distinguished playing careers.

And the success they tasted as players has followed them to their managerial careers.

Both are fierce competitors who love winning but Jeffrey says there is utmost respect between the pair.

“We go back a long time. I was instrumental in bringing him to Windsor Park as a player as I approached him on behalf of Mr Coyle,” said the Ballymena United boss.

“So we played together as young men, we played together at Linfield and then we became rival managers.

“Obviously we’re both highly competitive and want to win, but we’ve a lot of time for one another.

“The job he has done at Seaview is incredible., I don’t think people will ever fully appreciate it.

“The fact that he was only really going in to help them out at the start, but what he has achieved and built them up to the Championships they have won, Irish Cup and the whole shooting match, it’s been an incredible job.

“When we played against one another - I was at Ards and he was still at Linfield - games were very competitive.

“That has continued and we’ll be competitive on the day no doubt.

“Along with that though there will be that absolute respect.”

The League campaign may not have panned out how Jeffrey would have like due to several factors but he is hoping to finish the season on a high with an Irish Cup win and European qualification.

“At the start of the season we were away to Carrick, they were down to ten men and we were winning 1-0 and we managed to get beat,” he explained.

“We were staring at a relegation battle early in the season.

“It wasn’t that we weren’t playing well, we didn’t have the squad available.

“We lost David Parkhouse and Josh Kelly early on and then hand niggles