From dark days to the highest of highs, Duff's influence was the catalyst for Moylan's change
ALL SMILES: Jack Moylan speaks to the media. Pic: Ryan Byrne/Inpho
After having his career resurrected by Damien Duff, Ireland newcomer Jack Moylan can forgive his former Shelbourne manager for being under the mistaken belief he’s a connoisseur of coddle.
The traditional Irish dish of sausages and potatoes has never passed the lips of the attacking midfielder, particularly as his mother is vegetarian, but for some reason Duff latched onto the myth.
In the Ireland legend’s distinctive managerial style, this was the stick – or staple – to critique Moylan’s development.
Duff took a punt by signing the free agent for his new Shelbourne project in 2021, sold him to Lincoln City at the start of his title-winning season and has kept in touch as his Ireland debut on Saturday looms.
Tough love is okay with Moylan, even if the facts don’t match the means.
“He battered me a few times,” the player said about Duff’s contortions in literature.
“Part of my career is down to some stuff he gave out to me about. You get used to it but it is a shock at the time.
“Statements like ‘you need to be better off the ball’ and ‘look after yourself better’.
“They were things previous managers never told me but he tells it straight to your face on day one. You listen to him if you want to become the best.
“Everybody knows about how he used to talk about Shane Farrell eating chicken fillet rolls but I probably had it worse without it getting online.
“One of the first things he said was stop eating my Ma’s coddle. He had an obsession with it but I genuinely have never eaten it.
"I just nodded my head but he still slags me about it. If I had my phone, I'd show you some of the messages.”
The latest correspondence was imploring his graduate to embrace the international arena. Moylan’s sole previous Ireland experience was a cameo at U16 level, for which he didn’t receive a cap.
His journey contrasts with most of the company he’s keeping in Spain since the training camp began last week.
Dismissed as a teenage prospect for being ‘too small’, further rejection followed when informed he wasn’t up to cutting it Bohemians.
Less than five years later and his double-figure haul of goals helped Lincoln reach the Championship for the first time since 1961.
An avenue to the Ireland squad for the Uefa Nations League series in the Autumn is available too at 24 after Heimir Hallgrímsson recently liked what he saw in a League One encounter.
“I've been told so many times my managers never get too high, never get too low but I certainly did as a kid,” he surmises.
“If we lost games I'd be the saddest man in the world but if we were winning I'd probably get ahead of myself.
“I’m the highest I've ever been at the moment - I absolutely love it - but there were a lot of dark days when I was travelling to Wexford (on loan) for training for two hours every day after a day’s work.
“When I was released by Bohs I thought: 'That's my chance gone’ and I'll never play football again.
"But you must rough it up, get on with it and keep working hard.
“I don't think there is much luck involved. you don't get far in your career on luck. You put in hard hours every day as a kid from the age of five and it can pay off.
“Young lads maybe feel sorry for themselves when they're told they're not good enough, probably feel a bit down, which is naturally understandable. I probably did for a couple of weeks."
Encountering a mentor like Duff engineered the turnaround, both physically and mentally. Words heard early in their relationship have proven prescient.
“Duff looked after me. He brought me in and then he filled me back with confidence.
“You're probably thinking the whole time you've been released by Bohs after five years but to get someone then that backs you and has a positive opinion of you, it meant a lot at that age.
"He wanted me to do well, always saying 'your end goal should be to play for your country.' He said it in my first few days at Shels.
“But I don’t want to be just a fun story for the summer. I want to be here for the next 10 years."
This Ireland season-ticket holder finally has something to chew on.
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