Damien Duff: 'Other managers can have the spotlight now, I don't want it'

Damien Duff is glad the fascination with his debut as Shelbourne boss is over

Sun, 20 Feb, 2022 - 13:12

John Fallon

It won’t cease here but Damien Duff is glad the fascination around his managerial debut is over, albeit with a 3-0 humbling.

The biggest story to encircle the League of Ireland for a generation revolved around the Ireland centurion’s decision to accept the vacancy at Shelbourne.

Friday’s visit of title-chasing St Patrick’s Athletic to Tolka Park on opening night culminated three-and-a-half months of preparation for Duff, rebuilding from scratch what he was still branding a “special group” following the whitewash.

Wherever the two-time Premier League winner goes, attention will follow but after the intense spotlight of the build-up and his first occasion in the dugout, it’ll be less prevalent for the next games against Drogheda and UCD.

“I’m glad it’s out of the way now, in a way,” Duff reflected after Pat’s clinically punished stray passes for the opening goals during Friday’s sell-out.

“We’ve parked it. Bizarre as it sounds after we’ve lost 3-0 but I think this defeat will give the players an awful lot of belief. They’ve felt it.

“I said to them before that I was the proudest man in Ireland walking the squad and the staff out on the pitch. They’re just fantastic guys, we’re close-knit and we’ll move on.

“I’m glad it’s over. I don’t like the spotlight. I’m sure other managers in the league are going ‘f**king Duffer getting it’.

“I don’t want it, so they can have it, alright?”

Duff has implored his squad to stick to their principles and the rewards will come.

“We had warned the lads about the threats of St Pat’s from set-pieces and counter-attack football,” he noted.

“That’s the disappointing bit, but I have to say, the lads were absolutely magnificent.

“I think we created a lot of chances and got into a lot of dangerous areas. We couldn’t do anything with it but I don’t think 3-0 was a fair reflection of the game.

“Jack Moylan will score a lot of goals this season, Dan Carr has obviously missed a lot so he’s still, I guess, getting up to speed.

“Jordan McEneff, on loan from Arsenal, has missed quite a bit more.

“It was good for them to know that they absolutely belong here and to believe and go back out and give more if possible because we’re fit enough to do it.”