Duff takes on chance to better his game
Duff’s transfer was described enthusiastically by Noel O’Reilly as: “The most exciting move by an Irish player since Liam Brady went to Juventus.”
He explained: “When Robbie Keane went to Inter Milan it came as something of a shock. He went as a potential top-class player.
“But Damien by now is a top-class player, is acknowledged as such, and the size of the transfer fee confirms that.”
O’Reilly has contributed substantially to the development of Duff in his capacity as assistant to Brian Kerr with Ireland’s under-age teams and now with the senior squad.
His admiration of Duff is beyond measure; he has respect for him not just as a player but also as a person.
“He is a wonderful young man and totally dedicated to his life as a footballer,” he said. “He is absolutely disciplined because he loves to train hard and, of course, he loves to sleep.
“Ever since his days as a schoolboy he found it easy to sleep. One of the first tournaments we had with him was in Moldova where we had a tournament that also included Azerbaijan and we stayed in the most basic hotel imaginable.
“It was freezing cold there but Damien had no trouble in putting on his full track-suit, a wool hat and football socks and going to bed for the afternoon.”
Noel recalled the recent European Championship qualifiers against Albania and Georgia to illustrate just how committed Duff is to Ireland.
He hurt his knee on the Saturday when Ireland beat Albania and after undergoing intensive treatment on the Sunday he accepted Noel’s invitation to walk in the sea outside their hotel in Portmarnock to help the healing process.
Noel was surprised when he got out of bed on the Monday to find that Duff had again been walking in the sea before breakfast as he tried, unsuccessfully, to be fit for the Wednesday match against Georgia.
I asked Noel what made Duff so special. “He showed why he is so special at the World Cup last year.
“Clubs would have been watching him since then but the fee Blackburn had put on him was so big that it scared most of them off.
“At £17m sterling you would expect only the likes of Real Madrid or an Italian club to be able to afford that. Now that it’s Chelsea he won’t have the added complication of having to learn the language.
“Damien is such an unusual player because he can dribble past people and provide the service that every striker wants. The Real fullback, Roberto Carlos, does it but there are not many around who can match them.”
Duff, at 23, has his best years ahead of him. He has had his problems with injuries and this could be the biggest threat to his development.
Playing for Chelsea in the Champions League will offer him the sort of encouragement that money cannot buy. That competition, in some respects, is bigger than international football, for it will bring Duff in contact with many outstanding players whose national teams are not good enough to qualify for championship finals.
The mix of Europeans, South Americans, Africans and Asians is a fascinating one and competing with these can only help him broaden his game further.
It will not guarantee him success, of course. “Money cannot always buy success,” said O’Reilly. “Bringing in three or four new players may not pay off in terms of team spirit and team unity which you must have to be successful.”
Success with Ireland is what matters most and hopefully Chelsea will contribute to that by aiding the development of a player who is a national treasure.
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