Damien Duff delighted to sign 18-month deal with Shamrock Rovers

It’s official: Damien Duff has become a Shamrock Rovers player — but he’s not ready to don the famous Hooped shirt just yet.

The former Irish international, capped 100 times for his country, is still recovering from the injury which cut short his time in Australia with Melbourne City and brought him home to Dublin but he says he expects to resume full training by the end of this month, meaning he should be in line to make his debut in August.

And the 36-year-old has made it clear that he does not see the final move of a career which has taken him to the Premier League and the finals of the World Cup and European Championships as any kind of gentle retirement.

“I am as excited about this move as I have been about any in my career, be that Newcastle, Chelsea or any other,” he said.

“I left Ireland 20 years ago to go and make a career as a footballer and so now it’s great to be back. And I am definitely not just here to see out my time as a player; I intend to make a positive contribution to Shamrock Rovers and to the league.”

Duff has signed an 18-month contract in Tallaght, which will take him through to the end of the 2016 season, the deal having been made possible with the help of club sponsors Pepper Ireland and Hyundai Ireland.

“I am very excited to have signed for the club,” said Duff.

“It’s great to have it all finalised and now I’m just really looking forward to getting back on the pitch. I am still out with a bit of an injury, but I should be ready to get back training fully before the end of the month. After that I will be very keen to get back playing regularly.

“I have always said that I wanted to come back and play in Ireland and I am very grateful to Pat (Fenlon) and the club for giving me the chance to do that. Not only do I get the chance to come back and play, but I get to do it at the biggest club in the country.”

Depending on how his recovery from injury progresses, Duff could make his home debut in Tallaght against either St Patrick’s Athletic — with whom he had also held talks — or Cork City next month.