Damien Duff: 'I pride myself on standards and will refuse to meet people halfway'

New Shelbourne boss Damien Duff: 'Being pessimistic rather than optimistic is what drove my playing career. I was always afraid of losing'. Picture: INPHO/Evan Treacy

Chapters of words came out of Damien Duff’s mouth on his first day as a senior team manager but some things simply didn’t need to be said.

It was apparent from his initial monologue that the Shelbourne boss was exactly that; the man in charge, the decision-maker, the person possessing the final say.

Overtness wasn’t necessary, a temptation to channel his former team-mate Steve Staunton’s “I’m the gaffer” declaration non-existent.

This was Duffer at his most assertive, juxtaposed by the vulnerabilities that endeared him to the public when he first sprang on the Ireland scene under Brian Kerr and Mick McCarthy.

He’s got a job to do, a fair idea of where he wants to get to but is pragmatic enough to realise the track isn’t binary.

It wasn’t even straightforward over the past week, when he initially rejected the vacancy before performing a U-turn on Sunday. Shelbourne’s Technical Director Alan Caffery insisted no extra demands were requested of the club to change his mind.

An instinct to overcome his fear of failure was the clincher in the end.

“If I fall flat on my face, I’d still come away happy because in a way I’ve won,” said Duff before explaining that paradoxical statement.

“I’ll have done something out of my comfort zone. If I fail and never get a job again, I’ll be totally fine.

“Being pessimistic rather than optimistic is what drove my playing career. I was always afraid of losing, rather than wanting to win.

“I know everyone is different and you can still get to the same place with either one but if I lose a game with my Shelbourne U17s, it feels like the end of the world to me. Thankfully, we haven’t lost too many.

“But it’s probably taken me a week to get my head around the fact that I’m going to lose games in this new job. When you’ve played elite football, the hatred of losing is probably why you get there.

“What you see with me is what you get. Brian Marwood was part of the City Group and I remember him telling me during my time with him at Melbourne City that managers have to be the best actors in the world after disappointments and enjoyments.

“I think you all know me by now. I’m not a good actor but I might have to become good at acting.”

On his stage of Tolka Park from February, leading newly-promoted Shels into the Premier Division, he’s aware his supporting cast will be mixed. On an average wage of €600 per week, players of varying abilities will comprise his squad tasked with achieving survival. He’s accepted that reality without compromising his principles.

“If there’s a bottle out of place, I’m not going to say that I’ve had enough of Shelbourne,” he reasoned.

“I pride myself on standards and will refuse to meet people halfway. Yes, I’ll be better at dealing with it in my own head but the standards will absolutely stay the same.

“Yes, I am a perfectionist. The way players can dress or being late for a meeting, in my head, is the most unacceptable type of behaviour.”

Distinguishing between what is unacceptable and unworkable is the reservation sceptics attach to Duff.

As he glided through answers at the Clayton Airport Hotel with the same finesse he exhibited on the wing for Premier League winners Chelsea in his pomp, the 42-year-old’s riposte to a perception of him being a quitter was laced with venom.

His exits from Shamrock Rovers and Celtic were outlined, whereas the most recent, from Stephen Kenny’s Ireland backroom team in January, remains a mystery, publicly at least.

“I knew I would be asked but I think it needed to be addressed,” Duff countered. “To say I jump here, there and everywhere? Well, I actually don’t when you strip it back. Everywhere I’ve been, I’ve dedicated my life to it and am still in touch with players from Celtic and Shamrock Rovers, giving help and guidance on and off the pitch.”

Duff is receptive to guidance too and his bid to enlist Shamrock Rovers defender Joey O’Brien as his sidekick is ongoing. Training will be switched to mornings when his new squad first assembles next month and he feels his mindset chimes with the board of Shelbourne, led by Chairman Andrew Doyle.

“If I was to pick one job, it would be Shelbourne because I trust the board,” he said.

“I’ve been lucky to be in roles where it’s “holy f**k, you know.” And this is one more of them. Stressful but it’s where I think I belong.

“This is a rebuild and I can put my own stamp on things. I want to be surrounded by coaching staff that will confront me and disagree, not by yes men.

“They’re difficult to find but I may have found a few. When it’s named, it could be an exciting staff.”

As if Shels needed any more excitement than securing the league’s most high-profile manager in 40 years on a 24-month contract.