Duff and Robben ‘doing what comes naturally’
It's simply that he has no interest in speaking to the press. "I try not to read newspapers, it's just not me and I'm not concerned about them," he told Chelsea's official club magazine.
But he can see why newspapers want to talk to him. "I can understand why people want to read about players, as football is the best sport in the world.
"People want to know what footballers are about and want to read all about them, so we are always in the limelight. But personally I have no interest in giving 'exclusives'. I just want to play football and then go home."
His relaxed and down to earth attitude away from football owes a lot to his family and his girlfriend, he told the magazine this week.
He lives on his own in Cobham, close to Chelsea's big new training complex to the south of London, where he says he can 'escape and relax'. "My family and girlfriend, who is studying in Dublin, are always over from Ireland when they get time, so they help me keep my feet on the ground."
Duff started the season sidelined because of a bad shoulder injury and there was speculation in the English media that his place in the Chelsea team might be in jeopardy with the arrival of Dutch winger Arjen Robben.
"You have to just keep plugging away and wait for your chance. I've had a taste of that when I couldn't get in the team. But you just keep working hard. The squad here will always keep you on your toes. It's basically all about working hard, getting a few starts and hopefully building on that."
In the event, his performances since he and Robben have played together have been one of the main reasons for Chelsea's rise to the top of the Premiership, and both have become first-choice players in a three-man attack, able to switch wings at will.
"I love playing with him and he certainly gives the team an extra dimension. I suppose we do whatever comes naturally to us the manager lets us switch over when we want.
"Robbie's used to playing on the right, as I have been doing, so we just swap over. It's hard for defenders to understand, so it's good for us to have that change of style up our sleeve.
"It doesn't bother me at all what formation we play we just go on the pitch and we all know what we are doing and what is expected of us. We create chances and try to score the odd goal as well," he says modestly there was a spell in late November when he opened the scoring in four consecutive games.
"I think it was a bit of coincidence that I scored so quickly against Bolton and Charlton but we'll have to wait and see if it happens again. You have to be ready straight from the opening whistle. I once scored five in five at Blackburn from the left."
In fact Duff has been operating on the right side of the attack for much of the time recently, but says he feels just as comfortable there as he does on the left.
"I've also played on the right for the Republic of Ireland and I'm learning about the position all the time. I like to think I've got a useful right foot; it's obviously nowhere near as good as my left, but I've learnt my right leg isn't just for standing on!"
Duff is positive about his club's prospects of winning trophies this season. The team are 'desperate to win every trophy' he says, but the Premiership is the main aim.
"The Premiership is your bread and butter week in, week out, that's what it's all about. Obviously the Champions League is a special competition but first and foremost it's the League.
"I don't see it as a two-horse race between us and Arsenal, Manchester United will always be in there. The Premiership crown is definitely a realistic goal for us. It's going okay at the minute, but things can change over a couple of weeks in football.
"We've probably got the strongest squad in the Premiership, so on paper you'd expect us to win almost every game as we're becoming the favourites."
As for Ireland's chances in the World Cup, he is a bit more cautious, but equally optimistic, having worked with Brian Kerr since his days in the youth team.
"We've got off to an okay start in the group we're level on points with France and Israel and with Switzerland thrown in there it's a really tough group.
"We're playing Israel away on March 26 and that's going to be a crucial game. Brian has been brilliant since coming in and he's working hard to get us to the World Cup Finals in 2006. We got to the Finals in 2002 and we want to be a part of it again."
Duff's own part seems assured, especially now that he seems to have overcome the repeated injuries which kept him out of the game for the best part of five months last year. "It had been a difficult time" he admits, but he does not believe the shoulder dislocation will recur.
"I had the operation in the summer and, touch wood, it won't be coming back. I work on strengthening it every day, so I have no worries at all. I just have to keep on top of it."
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