Eamon Dunphy column: The Damien Duff I know

Irish Daily Mirror

03-05-2025

The first time I met Damien Duff, I was seriously impressed.
He was the recently retired player; I was the experienced analyst who had an image of being mouthy and always looking to create controversy.
Pretty quickly Damien realised that this perception differed from the reality. He was new to the studio; John Giles, Liam Brady and I extremely welcoming to him.
It naturally helped that he was good at his job. He had an air of confidence and we all found ourselves listening whenever he spoke.
There was passion in his words. He knew his stuff. We liked him instantly as a person, and immediately were impressed with his deep understanding of all aspects of the game.
Tactically he was astute; verbally he was articulate; emotionally he was intelligent. He could explain his points in succinct terms.
Never mind becoming a natural analyst on television, it was plainly clear he had the ability to become a leading coach.
And so it has proved.
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Late on in his time working with us on RTE, word had got out that he was training his underage Shamrock Rovers team at an ungodly hour in the morning.
We joked about this. 'You are torturing those young lads,' I said, teasing him.
He took the comment in the spirit it was meant, knowing I was being playful rather than having a dig.
But beyond the smiles, we knew he was a serious operator, so when he transferred his work allegiances entirely from punditry to coaching, I wasn't surprised, because he had the talent and drive to do so.
What I really liked about Damien was his humility. He was a colleague, first and foremost, part of a team. Lots of people go into punditry and showboat or else fall into the trap of repeating a point that someone else made.
Damien didn't.
He had his own ideas and was his own man.
This has also become clear in his coaching.
As a player, he peaked during his Chelsea years, when Jose Mourinho was his manager.
Clearly there are aspects of Duffer's managerial style that are similar to Mourinho's, the fact his teams are so fit and hard to break down, the playfulness with the media when he needs to make a point.
Yet he is not Jose-lite. He isn't trying to be Mourinho. He is comfortable in his own skin.
When he was a player, he was perceived not to be, the word shy often used to describe him. I didn't know him personally then but I had a deep respect for his abilities.
Too often we hear about 'brainless wingers'. Duffer was anything but brainless, knowing when to drift infield, when to track back and when to hug the touchline.
In terms of ability, he was up there as one of Ireland's greatest ever. Those performances in the 2002 World Cup and then later in the 2009 World Cup play-off game in Paris, were exceptional.
You have to admire the fact he retained a low profile and never complained about the state of the FAI, when, as we all know, there was plenty to grumble about.
Not just that. You also have to admire his independence now. He knows he has a status as a former Premier League winner. Yet he uses it to fight for what is right, not to cause a stir for the sake of it.
He loves the League of Ireland, particularly Shelbourne. And he fights for its cause, and theirs. The League needs him because his words carry respect and if the FAI ever act the maggot and not look after their clubs properly, you know rightly that Duffer will speak up and speak out.
That has to be respected because by doing so, he is sacrificing his career ambitions for the greater good, because knowing the FAI, people in there will blackball him for being so critical.
The bottom line, however, is that he has to be in the conversation when the Ireland manager's job comes up again, because everywhere this guy has gone, he has been a big asset.
As a player, Ireland relied on him. As an analyst, RTE were boosted hugely by his presence. And now that he is in the League of Ireland, he is helping to move Shelbourne onto a level they never thought they'd return to.
Remember an 18-year gap separated their 2006 title from last year's win.
And remember too when he got the job, Shelbourne had just been promoted. So he took them to the FAI Cup final in year one, qualified them for Europe in year two, and won the League in year three.
That's impressive, especially when you consider the additional resources that Shamrock Rovers, St Pat's and Derry City have.
Yet it doesn't surprise me because the Damien Duff I got to know was meticulous, disciplined, likeable, innovative.
He has ideas and principles about the game and the other thing is, he has nerve. He held it in Derry when Shelbourne needed to go to the Brandywell last season and get three points to win the League.
Other managers would have cracked under the strain. Duff didn't.
The man has status. The man has character. The man has class. And when The Icelandic Dentist gets his next job - possibly as a hygienist in a Reykjavik dental surgery - and a vacancy needs to be filled, then I know where the FAI should look.
And that is to Tolka Park. If Duff wants it, the FAI needs to act quickly, because someone better than them will come calling for Duffer soon.
He is another Special One.