Shelbourne’s Harry Wood celebrates scoring their first goal late in the game with teammates and coaching staff(Image: INPHO/Ben Brady)

14 memorable Damien Duff quotes as Ireland legend leads Shelbourne to title glory

01 Nov 2024, 21:45 by Mark McCadden · Irish Mirror

It’s official: Damien Duff is a title-winning manager.

The Chelsea, Newcastle and Ireland legend, a two-time Premier League winner at Stamford Bridge, has guided Shelbourne to their first League of Ireland Premier Division crown in 18 years.

Their return to the top was confirmed on Friday night when the Reds beat Derry City thanks to a late Harry Wood goal.

Duff is sure to have plenty to say over the close-season as he celebrates his first trophy as a manager. But for now, here are some of our favourite Duffer quotes from the 2024 campaign to date:

'Nervous energy'

“At the minute I am as cool and as calm, believe it or not, as I have ever been. The players have seen it, they have been playing and training at a top level for weeks now. The most nervous person in my life now is my wife, she's a bundle of nervous energy walking around the house, keeps wanting to talk about permutations and what if this happens, whereas I don't want to talk about football at all. There's absolutely no nerves. Should there be? I don't know but we are calm, very focused and we will be highly motivated on Friday night.”

- Friday November 1: As kick-off approached at the Brandywell, Duff gave an insight into life at home in the run-up to Shelbourne’s title win.

Shelbourne manager Damien Duff at the Brandywell(Image: INPHO/Ben Brady)

Siege mentality

“Is it us against the world?’ It absolutely is. It’s just the way I like it.”

- May 26: Duff reacting to criticism of Shelbourne’s playing style.

No moral victories

“I didn’t ask the lads to be in a title race – I demanded it. I’m not interested in gallant efforts, Irish football has probably been built on it for decades. I’m not interested in hard luck stories, my only interest is in finishing the job.”

- October 24: Ahead of the win against Drogheda United in Shelbourne’s penultimate game of the season.

Shelbourne Head Coach Damien Duff reacts during the game(Image: INPHO/Ben Brady)

Context

“I’ve had some very difficult days in my life and this isn’t one of them. Managing Shels isn’t one of them. Being in a title race against Derry and Rovers isn’t stressful either. I’m disappointed and frustrated but I’m still going home proud as the players and fans should be proud.”

- August 25: After a draw with Bohs saw them knocked off top spot.

'It's f**king not'

“I think maybe back in the day it was easy to go to Galway. It's f**king not. Pat's are resurgent, big game players, it's not easy to go to Pat's. There is no easy game. That's the way I see it. But here, if Stephen says everyone's poor, I'd say there are 250 professional footballers in this country that would find that as a slight.”

Shelbourne manager Damien Duff with Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley(Image: INPHO/Evan Treacy)

- October 6: Duff’s response to Stephen Bradley’s remarks on the quality of the title race.

Elite mentality

“If you see any of my players out shopping or golfing, even having a coffee, I'll be disgusted. Monday is all about recovery, recovery, recovery because, like I said, we are built on energy and edge and the minute we don't have that we're a bang average team. So first and foremost, it’s just recovery. It's what top pros do, top pros don't complain about playing three games in a week.”

- August 2: Ahead of a Monday clash with Derry City, which finished scoreless.

'Loose lips'

“What really upsets me about the LOI is that there are so many loose lips, so many people that you can’t trust. That’s why this is a special group of individuals, players and staff at Shelbourne FC. Outside of that, I don’t care about anybody. I will fall out with absolutely anybody to bring this club back to where it belongs. The fact that I’m getting asked this speaks volumes about people and the league.”

- September 2: This one came after reporting of a row between Duff and Bohemians boss Alan Reynolds ahead of their Tolka Park derby.

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Dad appreciation post

“He’s a footballing genius, maybe the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, I’d like to think we’re all half-decent coaches in the staff room as well.”

- September 7: Speaking about his dad Gerry and reveals that he used a ‘very personal’ question that his dad asked him to motivate his players.

Lucky runners

Damien Duff takes a tumble.(Image: Virgin Media.)

“They've no grip but they're my lucky runners. I’ve just had them for the season but I like to go through a few pairs in the season but these always get you wins so that's why I wore them here. But I won't blame the runners, I'll blame the pitch.”

- October 19: Caught on camera slipping as he celebrated Sean Boyd’s equaliser against Waterford.

Drunk again!

“I’ve signed three now. The first, I was very nervous, the second I was drunk and the third I was in the south of France, so I was probably drunk again. It got announced while I was over there.

"Like I said, I didn’t read it, so I trust Lukey (Luke Byrne, technical director) hasn’t hung me out to dry. You can overthink these things. The club asked me to stay and we are all rowing in the same direction. The club approached me, would you prolong your contract? I actually don’t really know what I signed, I just signed the bottom, I didn’t read it. So I guess they are happy with the job myself and the staff are doing.”

- July 5: When Duff was asked about his new two-year contract.

Duffer the poet

“He loves his poetry before games, he brings out all these sayings and puts stuff on the board to fire us up. There is always something that gets us going with the gaffer, he always has something up his sleeve. It’s just so refreshing. The boys absolutely love it. If there is a brick wall there, we’ll run through it because we know how much he cares for us and our families.”

Shelbourne’s Aiden O'Brien(Image: INPHO/Ryan Byrne)

- September 13: This one was from new signing, former Ireland striker Aiden O’Brien on his manager.

Pressure's for tyres

“Believe you me, being down the bottom is not a nice pressure but up the top is a pleasure.”

- July 3: Duff responds to questions about the pressure of the title race.

A rare verbal slip

“I would raze Abbotstown to the ground because it’s the most uninviting unenthusiastic workplace not in world football but in the world. I used to dread going in there once a month. So I’d level it and I would probably sack 90 per cent of the workforce.”

- July 10: Duff on comments about the FAI that he later apologised for.

Siege mentality, part 2

“We are probably the one team in world football who gets criticised for being organised. It’s like a negative in this country. ‘Aww against Damien Duff’s team if you go 1-0 down they can defend.’ It’s a big f**king part of football but it’s seen as a negative here which I find absolutely incredible.”

- May 26: More from Duff on criticism of his team’s style.

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