Pat Dolan column: The League of Ireland needs to treat Damien Duff with respect
It is now fashionable to put the boot into Damien Duff.
What a load of nonsense.
Because all of us who love the League of Ireland should be down on our hands and knees.
And that's because Damien's arrival into the greatest league in the world has made us box office.
Read more: Liam Scales - I could see that the League of Ireland had huge potential
The League of Ireland has been improving for years.
Top players have always played in the League of Ireland such as Paul McGrath, Roy Keane, Eddie Gormley, Paul Osam, George O'Callaghan, Kevin Doyle, Seamus Coleman among dozens of others.
But since Duffer shocked the world by agreeing to become Shelbourne FC manager, despite having no previous managerial experience at the top level, we have been in dreamland.
He has changed the reality of the League.
The fact that so many managers want to stick the boot into him and even 'friends' such as Stephen Bradley have made comments that Duffer has found insulting is actually a tribute to what a great personality and manager The DuffMeister is.
When he came into the League, he was different to so many others because of the playing career he enjoyed. This, remember, was a Premier League winner and an international centurion. He was not just a top player.
He was top, top.
What shocked me was how much commitment and dedication he has brought to the role of League of Ireland management.
It is how it should be.
If you are privileged enough to be a top League of Ireland boss then of course it is going to affect your family and your social life.
It is part of the gig when these things take over your life.
But the difference for me is that Duff is so genuine.
We all wait for his interviews especially after a defeat because he takes losses so personally that you can just imagine 'The Duffering' the Shels players get in the dressing room.
Football is now a business.
And most managers take jobs because it is a good opportunity to further their career and because of the financial rewards and opportunities.
So many managers are always on the lookout for a bigger and better job.
But Duff is not one of those people.
I am unsure if Duff would move to Inter Milan, PSG, Barcelona or Real Madrid.
Because the connection he has with the club and the supporters is special.
Every victory to him feels like he has won the lotto.
For a man that has achieved so much in his career and has won league titles in Ireland, Scotland and England, Duff has retained a sense of humility.
It was such a complement to the League of Ireland to hear him say the highlight of his magnificent journey has been with Shelbourne FC.
In my work in football, I would often end up in managerial offices after games.
The whole handshake thing is an English trait which means nothing.
We are different.
And if someone wants to storm down the tunnel after the final whistle because their football club means the world to them, that is something I respect far more than people getting headlines for insulting the great man.
Damien Duff is a national treasure.
He is the greatest thing that has happened to Irish football since the creation of The Rebel Army in 2003.
Wouldn't it be great if those who own Shelbourne found a way to turn the holy ground of Tolka Park into a magnificent, modern stadium - the kind of facility that Damien Duff deserves.
Throughout his playing career, Damien was always quiet, respectful and admired for being such a dedicated family man as well as a leading player.
And yet he was ready to sacrifice his personal time to go into the League of Ireland and take on a club that was struggling before he turned them into winners.
That was a miracle.
His demands on everyone around him, pleading with them to match his commitment, has been at the core of Shelbourne's success.
But I worry that while we have all benefited from his shock decision to become a big boss in the LOI, if people keep disrespecting him and not acknowledge how transformational he has been, he might disappear as quickly as he arrived.
That would be a disaster.
Trust me, the League of Ireland minus the great Damien Duff would be like Hamlet without the Prince.
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