McPhail: Duff would light up League of Ireland

Stephen McPhail has urged his fellow former Irish international Damien Duff to join him at Shamrock Rovers.

Duff, currently sidelined following knee surgery, confirmed this week that he will leave Fulham and the Premier League at the end of this season, and said he is considering playing in America or Australia when he has recovered from his injury.

But the 35-year-old Dublin native also reiterated his oft-expressed intention to finish his football career in the League of Ireland.

“I’m up at the end of the season,” Duff said. “The club haven’t spoken to me and I haven’t spoken to the club but we don’t need to speak: I’ll be leaving Fulham. I’ve had a great time here but that’s football.

“I’d maybe like to taste something new before I go back home. Everybody knows I want to go back and play in Ireland but whether that’s this summer, I don’t know.

“My body feels good so I’d like to do a year or two elsewhere first.”

Former Leeds United and Cardiff City midfielder McPhail, who was capped 10 times for Ireland, is currently settling into life in the SSE Airtricity League with Shamrock Rovers, and says he would be delighted if Duff were to join him in the famous hooped shirt.

“I’d love to see him at Rovers,” he said. “He’s a great player, he’s talking about playing here, so yeah, get him to Rovers, send him a few texts.

“It would be great for the club and great for the country for Damien to come home and play.”