Damien Duff hits out at 'absolute crap' talk of poor Premier Division standard

Damien Duff has revealed how looking at the league trophy every day this year helped him to eventually get his hands on it.

And the title-winning boss also blasted critics who slated the quality of this season’s Premier Division, claiming they are talking ‘absolute crap’.

The dust is settling on a dramatic night at the Ryan McBride Brandywell where a late Harry Wood goal clinched a first top flight title for Shels in 18 years.

READ MORE: Jose Mourinho message inspired Shelbourne to title win, but cost Damien Duff €500 bar tab

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

But even though Shels fans partied the night away at Tolka Park last night having watched the game on big screens, the celebrations are only getting started. An official homecoming will take place at Tolka Park at 2.00pm today with Duff, his players and staff taking centre stage.

Reflecting on the 1-0 win in Derry, Duff said: “There is no sweeter place to win than in the trenches. I wasn't even looking outside this game or looking at Rovers or debating what Derry would show up.

"I was transfixed with this, manifesting. For some reason I absolutely believed we were going to do it, I've written it in my diary and had a picture of the trophy on my phone all season. People always laughed at us and said we were not good enough. For kids out there you can do anything you want if you believe in it and attack it every day with energy."

Quizzed about his diary and the photo on his phone, Duff continued: "Ah here, I’m making myself out to be a really clever guy. It was one page on a date, Today, that we would be champions. When you say things loud and write things down you believe them more.

"I tell you guys a lot of stuff that I do with the guys but you don't know the half of it. We were laughed at for showing Only Fools and Horses. But I know how to run a dressing room and take the sting out of things.”

Duff admits Shelbourne didn’t hit their points target for the season, but doubts any team did such was the tit-for-tat nature of the intense fight. And he slammed talk of it being a poor league as a result, with no team driving home their advantage at times when rivals were vulnerable.

But apart from one week when they were knocked down to second spot by Derry - but only on goal difference - Shelbourne did what nobody else could do. They went top of the table on March 4 and showed they could hang tough by leading virtually every step of the way.

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“If you went off last season and the teams who got relegated, yeah, we would have hit 70 points but the league this year was madness,” he said. “The last four months, each meeting (with the players) it was coming down, you could see it wasn’t going to be 70. The lads stopped believing me because I went from 70 to 68 to 67 to 65 and they were probably like ‘he’s a f****** bluffer. That’s in my own head..”

And Duff added: “Has the league been poor? No, absolute crap. It’s been brilliant. And it’s the fitting finale, scoring the winner to win a league in the 85th minute live on national television. Is it Hollywood, absolutely. Winning once in 10 when trying to win the league isn’t fucking great but I never lost faith. I just worked hard every day.”

And Duff is already plotting for next year’s title defence, insisting he is full of energy to go again.

“If the season was starting next week, I’d be ready to go because my energy hasn’t waned,” he said. “The first year I was wrecked at the end, the second a little bit tired. Maybe it’s maturity from working smarter but I’m ready to go again.”

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