Damien Duff is a two-time Premier League winner, however the former Chelsea winger is one step away from arguably his best accomplishment in soccer.
The 45-year-old is the pinnacle coach of League of Eire facet Shelbourne, who lead the Premier Division by two factors heading into tonight’s ultimate sport of the season.
The permutations are quite simple: beat Derry Metropolis away and they’re the champions. Something lower than that they usually give Shamrock Rovers, who entertain Waterford FC at Tallaght Stadium, the chance to retain their crown.
It will be a really extraordinary feat for Duff in his first senior managerial function. Shels have been within the doldrums within the not so distant previous taking part in in entrance of some hundred followers because the as soon as profitable membership languished within the First Division. Previous to Duff’s appointment in 2021, that they had spent 11 of the earlier 14 years within the second tier.
Now they’re on the cusp of denying Rovers a fifth consecutive league title and a primary of their very own since 2006. So how did ‘Duffer’ get so far?
In July 2015, Duff made what was speculated to be a fairytale return to Eire, becoming a member of Shamrock Rovers halfway by the season whereas donating his wages to charity. By this level in his taking part in profession accidents had taken their toll so we solely bought to see him play 9 occasions for the Hoops, and he retired on the finish of the marketing campaign.
It was at Rovers the place he took his first tentative steps into teaching, working with the under-15s. He didn’t take to it instantly; requested to educate the wingers within the squad, he later admitted was unable to supply significant steering on one thing that was so instinctual to him as a participant. “I used to be crap, it harm my ego,” he stated.
Duff was like a fish out of water in that surroundings, however not for lengthy. He labored further laborious to get good at a brand new career that he this week stated doesn’t come naturally to him. Decided to get one of the best out of his precocious prospects, he organised 6AM coaching classes, one thing that didn’t go down effectively with dad and mom. Conscious that contact time with the ball is an important a part of a younger footballer’s growth, he known as the response to his strategies “dinosaur mentality”.
“I get slaughtered for it on this nation for coaching my lads 5 occasions every week, coaching half six within the morning doing double classes and your again at half six at night time,” he advised RTE on the time. “You must practice 5 occasions every week … However most groups practice twice or thrice every week, in order that’s an issue already.”
The next 12 months Duff took on a training function with the Republic of Eire U15s and joined the first-team teaching workers at Rovers. Over time he constructed up sufficient of a status to be a magnet for Celtic, who employed him as a part of the teaching workers for his or her reserve group in 2019.
The previous Newcastle United and Fulham participant’s strategies have been held in excessive esteem on the Glaswegian outfit, and he was promoted to first group coach when Neil Lennon returned for his second stint a supervisor. His nation known as but once more in 2020 when Stephen Kenny was made Republic of Eire supervisor, and he joined up as his assistant.
Two months later it was introduced that Duff would additionally change into head coach of the U17’s group at Shelbourne at the side of his nationwide group commitments, setting him on the trail to tonight’s essential title decider.
A former coach who labored within the membership’s academy on the time remembers that Duff was “extraordinarily passionate” about his job and had an “unbelievable rapport with the gamers”. Even if he was one among Irish soccer’s greatest stars, he “spoke to us like he was simply one other coach”.
“I knew he was one of the best coach within the nation from simply watching a few of his classes,” the coach tells The Soccer Devoted. Evidently the Shelbourne hierarchy felt the identical approach.
In 2021 the Dublin membership sacked their supervisor, Ian Morris, who had simply guided them to promotion, and changed him with Duff. It was a daring transfer, however one which has paid off many occasions over.
Shels would’ve been anticipated to flirt with relegation upon returning to the Premier Division. As a substitute they reached the FAI Cup ultimate in Duff’s first season, certified for Europe in his second, and might win the league in his third.
Understandably, he’s an enormous presence within the league, to the purpose that he overshadows nearly every little thing else. Subsequent to nobody has put a lot concentrate on Rover’s bid for an unprecedented fifth title in a row or Stephen Kenny’s unimaginable redemption arc at St Patrick’s Athletic after failing within the Eire job.
Duff is endlessly quotable; it might be inconceivable to suit each one among his notable remarks on this piece. He himself says he’s not making an attempt to garner headlines, however he doesn’t assist himself with soundbites that reporters eat up. He’s pure field workplace, which has been nice for the League of Eire, however his mouth has gotten him into hassle at occasions.
Earlier this 12 months Duff launched a scathing assault on his former employers, the FAI. “I’d – how would I phrase it – raze Abbotstown to the bottom as a result of it’s essentially the most uninviting, unenthusiastic office, not in world soccer however on the planet,” he stated of the affiliation’s headquarters. “So I’d stage it and I’d most likely sack 90 % of the workforce.”
These feedback drew heavy criticism and he apologised for them, admitting they have been “deeply disrespectful” to the workers. “You might be all working laborious for the advantage of Irish soccer. Making an attempt to pay payments, assist households and pay mortgages and, frankly, it was a ridiculous remark.”
Maybe it’s an occupational hazard once you’re a public determine who faces the media each week and keen to talk your thoughts unabashed. Some critics have argued that Damien Duff the supervisor is a persona, a mini-Jose Mourinho act he places on. Solely he’ll know if that’s actually the case, nevertheless it’s clear he has no drawback breaking just a few eggs on his journey.
“To get the place I wish to go, I’ll fall out with anybody. I’m comfortable to do this, as you’ve seen,” he stated at his pre-match press convention on Thursday.
“At occasions, I don’t just like the particular person you change into once you go over the white line. I feel it’s essential to have that edge to have success, as a person or as group.”
One would possibly anticipate Shel’s fashion of play to replicate that of the supervisor throughout his taking part in days, however his facet are an attritional group, keen to dig out victory by any means doable. Six groups (i.e. simply over half the highest flight) have scored extra targets than them this season, however they do boast one of the best defensive document.
It’s not been fairly, nevertheless it has been efficient, for essentially the most half. Shelbourne don’t have the strongest squad within the league nor the largest funds. Duff has squeezed each final ounce of his gamers to get them so far.
A few months in the past it even appeared like they’d stroll to the title. They loved a cushty lead on the summit, whereas Rovers have been, to everybody’s shock, miles behind. A run of 1 win in ten video games has made it a lot tighter than it should be, however Shels regained kind at simply the precise time, profitable their final two matches to remain on prime.
In the event that they don’t recover from the road tonight, then many will look again at their chaotic 3-2 defeat to St. Pat’s because the second the title actually slipped away from them. Duff’s males managed to recuperate from two targets all the way down to stage issues with ten minutes remaining. There was pandemonium within the stands at Tolka Park, which spilled over onto the sidelines as Duff tussled with Brian Gartland, one among Kenny’s assistants.
Shels simply wanted to professionally see out the sport and maintain on for a priceless level, however substitute Al-Amin Kazeem scored the winner within the 89th minute. It was a brutal blow that threatened to derail their title cost, however extra importantly it confirmed up their incapability to maintain their heads within the white warmth of battle.
Afterwards Duff offered a quote that summed him up. The interviewer asks him: All that emotion, are you able to try to simply calm it a bit perhaps and would possibly that aid you in direction of a outcome?”
“Emotion?” he responds. “I find it irresistible.”
A race to the end.
A becoming finale to essentially the most epic race of all of them stay on @RTEsport tomorrow. #LOI | #TheFinale pic.twitter.com/CAQcn82deV
— League of Eire (@LeagueofIreland) October 31, 2024
If Shelbourne beat Derry on the Brandywell for one of many extra unlikely title wins in Irish soccer historical past on Friday, anticipate the emotion to pour forth from Duff and those that have joined him within the trenches this season.
“Profitable the league could be the top,” he stated this week. “It will wipe the ground with every little thing nevertheless it’s not about me profitable, it’s the gamers. We assist them out all we are able to, give them the element, attempt to encourage and organise them however they’re going out over the white line.
“If there’s a trophy within the Shelbourne dressing room on Friday night time, it belongs to the gamers, it’s not mine. It will be nice nevertheless it’s their achievement.”
Derry Metropolis vs Shelbourne kicks off at 7.45pm Irish time and will likely be aired stay on RTE 2 in Eire and streamed on LOI TV internationally.
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