Northern Ireland striker Kyle Lafferty has said he hopes signing for Linfield will help him achieve his dream of winning 100 international caps.

The ex-Rangers man, whose 20 international goals in 89 appearances make him NI’s second-highest goalscorer behind Healy, has joined the Irish Premiership champions until the end of the season.

“I’m 11 caps away from my 100. That was obviously my dream and something I have always wanted to do,” Lafferty told BBC Sport NI.

“Being honest, I probably should be there already. In my younger years I probably should have taken internationals more seriously as I have in the last 10 years but I have a lot to offer.

“I can still put a performance in. I showed under Ian Baraclough when he put me in the squad, coming off the bench or starting, I put in performances to help the team and help the young lads around me. I’m confident I can still do a job.”

Lafferty and Healy played up front together numerous times for Northern Ireland and the pair were also in the same Rangers dressing room at Ibrox for a spell.

“The gaffer and the relationship I have with him,” Lafferty said when asked why he chose to make the move to Windsor Park, joking that he helped make the majority of Healy’s NI goals.

“I got a phonecall last week from the gaffer to see what my plans were. He said if I wanted to come back home there was an opportunity there.

“We have obviously played together. We have always remained friends, our relationship when we were playing and off the field as well.

“He is somebody I wanted to come and play for, and I know how important winning trophies for this club is to him.”

‘Ban was tough but I’ll let football do talking’

Enniskillen-born Lafferty was able to sign for Linfield outside the transfer window as he was a free agent after being released on transfer deadline day last week by Scottish Premiership club Kilmarnock.

He had only briefly returned to action after a 10-game ban that he was given because of a sectarian comment he made while on international duty in September.

The former Norwich, Hearts and Sunderland forward reflected on the incident and how challenging he found having to train for four months without being able to play.

“I apologised at the time [of the sectarian remark],” he explained.

“It is unusual of me to react or say those things but it is done with now. I’ve done my ban, I am now excited to play football and what a team to come to in Linfield. I am just going to let the football do the talking now.”

He added: “It was tough training every single day with nothing to play for at the end of the week. Hats off to Kilmarnock as they were superb with me, Derek McInnes [Kilmarnock boss] helped me massively on and off the pitch.

“I’ve a great family supporting me, a wife and two kids that always bring me happiness off the pitch no matter what’s happening on it. I’ve got good people around me and that has occupied me.”

‘I know what it takes to win titles’

Having won the Scottish Premiership during his first spell at Rangers, Lafferty says he knows what it takes to secure title success and is confident of helping the Blues to a fifth Irish Premiership crown in a row.

Indeed, he said he has watched a number of Linfield games and believes they are “by far the best team in the league”.

“No matter what team I have played for, I have always known that I can score goals,” he said.

“Coming to Linfield, I know what it means to the fans and everyone around the club to win titles. I have won many a title before and I know what it takes.

“I’ve got a name on myself that I come good in the second half of the season. It’s a good time for me to come good and push Linfield up to that first position.

“Obviously we are sitting third at the minute and are in a catch up but we are more than capable of catching the team that is top, pushing on and winning the league comfortably.”

Lafferty could make his Linfield debut on Saturday when league leaders Cliftonville, currently four points ahead of the holders, come to Windsor Park.

“I’m ready. I obviously came off a suspension but I have been training hard, I played a few minutes of football before I left Kilmarnock. I’m fully fit and ready to do it on the pitch.”