Timeline: Cup finals, Europe and league glory - Damien Duff's time at Shelbourne
The news on Sunday of Damien Duff's decision to quit Shelbourne has rocked the League of Ireland, where his profile has helped to lift the domestic game to new heights.
Capped 100 times for Ireland and a two-time Premier League winner with Jose Mourinho's Chelsea, the Ballyboden ace took on his first senior management role when he was appointed as Shelbourne boss.
But it wasn't a straightforward recruitment process and it required some convincing by Shels officials before he stepped up from his academy role.
It turned out to be a great appointment as the club improved season-on-season under Duff, but their struggles this year in the defence of their Premier Division title took a toll on the 46-year-old.
After last Friday's defeat to Derry City, he laid into his players in an explosive interview.
And on Sunday morning, he told his squad of his decision to step down.
Reds officials, having convinced him to change his mind and take the role in the first place, will attempt to draw another u-turn from the Boys in Green legend.
Here's a look back at his time in coaching and management so far.
Having cut his coaching teeth in the Shamrock Rovers academy, with the Ireland Under-15s, Celtic's reserves and then first-team, Stephen Kenny's senior Ireland side and finally Shelbourne's Under-17s, Duff took over from Ian Morris to become the Reds' first-team manager.
He turned down the role at first but was convinced to change his mind. On his appointment, he spoke of his fondness for coaching at youth level, but added that he was keen to 'build something' at Shels.
Duff was taking over a newly promoted side. Shels, under Morris, won the First Division title, but the club wanted a change at the top. His first competitive game in charge was a 3-0 home defeat to St Patrick's Athletic, but he won his second game, away to Drogheda United.
Shels finished seventh in the Premier Division, but they reached the FAI Cup final, beating Bray Wanderers, Bonagee United, Bohemians and Waterford along the way. A first piece of silverware remained elusive, however, as Derry City hammered the Reds 4-0 at the Aviva Stadium.
Shels' league form improved greatly in season two under Duff and they finished fourth in the Premier Division. Third placed St Patrick's Athletic's FAI Cup win meant their league place was enough to secure Europa Conference League football. It was the club's first time back in European competition in 18 years.
In the FAI Cup they could not match the performance of the previous year and exited at the first time of asking, in a 1-0 defeat to Bohs.
Duff looked set to leave Shelbourne during the club's brief spell under the ownership of Hull City's Turkish owner Acun Ilicali. He became majority shareholder in June of that year, but under Ilicali there was uncertainty over Duff's future at the club.
Duff, whose contract was up, claimed that he did not know what was happening behind the scenes and there was uncertainty over who had control of player recruitment.
Amid fan anger at the potential departure of their manager, Ilicali handed back control of Shels at the end of the season and Duff signed a new deal.
A season Shels supporters will never forget. The Reds made a blistering start to the new campaign, winning six of their first seven games, and remaining unbeaten until their 10th match of the campaign - a 2-1 defeat to Bohemians.
That start helped them navigate a sticky run-in, during which they claimed just one victory in 10 games before returning to form and winning their final three. A 1-0 win in Derry on the final day, thanks to Harry Wood's late goal, saw off a resurgent Shamrock Rovers and earned Shels their first title in 20 years.
In the FAI Cup, Shels lost to Derry City in the quarter-finals, while in Europe they made it past St Joseph's of Gibraltar in the first qualifying round, winning 3-2 on aggregate, but lost out in the second-round to FC Zurich (0-3).
The year started well for the champions. A President's Cup win over Drogheda United signalled that more good times were ahead. And they kicked off their campaign with back-to-back wins against Derry City (3-1) and Waterford (1-0), before drawing against Shamrock Rovers and Galway United.
A first defeat of the term came against Drogheda, but their struggles were largely down to a series of draws - nine in 22 games to date. Only Shamrock Rovers and Drogheda have lost fewer games than Shels so far.
With a Champions League campaign looming, and in the wake of Friday's defeat to Derry City, Duff made the shock decision to step down from his role.
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Sunday World
22 minutes ago
- Sunday World
Damien Duff quits as Shelbourne boss and sends shockwaves through League of Ireland
duff bombshell | The Ireland legend decided he could offer no more to the side who claimed the Premier Division title last season. Duff could not be convinced to rethink his decision to leave the club. Photo: Thomas Flinkow/Sportsfile The statement released by the reigning League of Ireland Premier Division champions on Sunday confirmed the former Ireland and Chelsea star who led Shels to the title last season has decided he could offer no more to the team after a 1-0 defeat against Derry City on Friday night. 'Shelbourne FC regretfully wishes to announce the departure of Damien Duff as first team manager,' read the club statement. 'Damien informed the club this morning that, after much thought, he has made the decision to resign. He shared the news with the players earlier today. 'While all at Shelbourne FC are deeply saddened by Damien's decision, we fully respect that he feels this is the right choice for him at this time. Duff could not be convinced to rethink his decision to leave the club. Photo: Thomas Flinkow/Sportsfile News in 90 Seconds - June 22nd 'During his four extraordinary years at Tolka Park, Damien transformed Shelbourne Football Club both on and off the pitch. 'Appointed in November 2021, he took over a newly promoted side and rebuilt it from the ground up. Duff guided Shels to a seventh-place finish and a first FAI Cup Final appearance since 2011 in that debut season. The following year, in 2023, a fourth-place finish brought the Reds back to European competition for the first time in 18 years. 'In 2024, Duff led the Reds to one of the greatest triumphs in the club's 130-year history, clinching the League of Ireland Premier Division title, our first since 2006. On the final day we went to Derry, where a 1-0 win at the Brandywell secured the title in dramatic fashion, marking Shels return to the summit of Irish football. 'The club wishes Damien and his family every happiness and success in the future. His impact on Shelbourne FC was transformational. He will always be one of our own, and we are eternally grateful for the indelible mark he has left on our club. 'Joey O'Brien and the coaching staff will take charge for tomorrow's trip to the RSC to face Waterford and will prepare the team for Friday's away fixture against Galway United.' Duff's decision to step down was a shock, despite his scathing criticism of team following the defeat against Derry. 'I prepared for the game like I was a professional footballer,' said Duff on Friday night. 'My wife probably cursed me at times. Three-hour siesta, ate really well, focused my mind. I would like to really, really know how many of my players prepared like me or as well as me, which is damning. 'There was a severe lack of energy, real flatness, severe lack of quality and you are going to get nowhere. I don't accept that that's our third game in a week. Never have, never will until the day I die. If you are an amazing pro you bounce into the night. Even if you are a bit tired, a bit flat, drag yourself along, give yourself a talking to. 'That's where you have to be an amazing pro, an elite pro, a pro that belongs in the Champions League which are strange words for me to say at the minute. 'Did I smell it on Thursday? Of course! It (training) was awful. It all comes from within, your energy, your motivation, how good a professional you are. 'I don't mind saying it again, because it is absolutely true. It's my energy that has driven the players for four years. I've offered them the dressing room for them to lead this show, this steam train. They've never really done it. Again, tonight, it's me shouting and screaming. Joe (O'Brien – assistant) shouting and screaming. We had a real energy because we were highly motivated men, prepared well and I didn't feel that spark, that energy off the players. 'You're all probably saying 'here he goes again'. I'm trying to drag the team, trying to wake them up, but they never woke up. 'For three years, we've been an incredibly motivated team. If you had a bad night it was a given that you get a reaction. As I told the lads upstairs, I don't know (if there will be one in Waterford on Monday). You never know with us anymore, which is damning. It's damning on me because I'm the manager. 'To become champions again, you have to be hungrier than last year, you have to work harder than last year, and again if you ask that question to our guys, I'm not sure how many would say yes, I smelled these type of issues in pre season. 'I thought I would come back and the dressing room would drive itself, because there's big characters, there's champions in there. It didn't. It's not driven by the players. It's driven by me. And like I said to Darren (Cleary – press officer), you can grab every player down here now and ask the same question: 'Is it Duffer that drives everything?' 'It is, and it gets tiring, but most importantly, it gets frustrating. Yeah, I'm there to help and coach and pick the best teams. I don't think it's the manager that should drive a dressing room that still is.'
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Man Utd fans fume ‘get out of our club' after Garnacho's controversial Instagram post wearing Rashford Villa shirt
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Irish Times
an hour ago
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A bolt from the blue for Shelbourne and League of Ireland as Duff leaves post
Damien Duff rarely fails to surprise, often providing as much entertainment with his musings on life and football, his touchline capers and feuds with rival managers as he did during his 100-cap Republic of Ireland career. But Sunday's news that he had decided to quit his job as Shelbourne manager was a bolt from the blue, even if he had been a picture of furious frustration after his side's 1-0 defeat by Derry City on Friday night. Duff confirmed to RTÉ that he had resigned on Sunday morning, ending his three-and-a-half year spell as the club's manager, Shelbourne later issuing a statement 'regretfully' announcing his departure. 'While all at Shelbourne FC are deeply saddened by Damien's decision, we fully respect that he feels this is the right choice for him at this time,' they said, describing his impact on the club as 'transformational'. 'He will always be one of our own, and we are eternally grateful for the indelible mark he has left on our club.' Shelbourne co-owner Neil Doyle also paid tribute to the 46-year-old, both for what he did for the club and the league as a whole. READ MORE It was Duff's first managerial role in football after stints as coach or assistant manager with the Irish under-15 and then senior squad, and with Shamrock Rovers and Celtic. The highlight, of course, came last November when he led Shels to their first league title since 2006 . But it was the nature of the defence of that title that rendered him exasperated, and clearly deciding that he'd had enough. The defeat to Derry left his side sixth in the table, a mountainous 15 points behind leaders Shamrock Rovers. He lashed out at his players after the game, questioning their motivation and professionalism. 'I prepared for the game like I was a professional footballer - I would really, really like to know how many of my players prepared as well as me.' 'It's my energy that has driven the players for four years,' he said. 'I've offered them the dressing room for them to lead this show. They've never really done it. I'm trying to drag them, trying to wake them up, but they never woke up.' Shels' head coach Damien Duff dejected after losing to Derry City. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho 'To become champions again, you have to be hungrier than last year, you have to work harder than last year - I'm not sure how many would say that they've done that.' And the thing about Duff is that you'd suspect he could forgive anything, other than a lack of hunger and professionalism. Once he felt he could no longer extract either of those qualities from his players, that was time for him to bid adieu. He'll leave a hell of a hole in the League of Ireland, though, not least because of his passion for it and the raised profile he helped give it. And he was never shy about standing up for it. 'This league was called the problem child for many, many years,' he said, 'but believe you me, the biggest problem child is the FAI.' It's unlikely, then, that he'll choose Abbotstown as his next place of work. So where next? It was only in April that he dismissed any notion of leaving Ireland to take up another managerial offer, Bolton said to have been the latest club to want him as their gaffer. 'I am here because they are here,' he said of his family and their life in Wicklow, 'and I want to be here. I don't picture myself anywhere else but Ireland.' Look away now, Shels fans: could he be up for taking over at another club in the league some time soon? We'll see. But one thing's for sure, you wouldn't want him staying out of the game for too long. Joey O'Brien, meanwhile, will take charge of Shelbourne for Monday night's league game away to Waterford, and could well still be in position for their Champions League qualifying games against Linfield on July 9th and 16th. 'What comes on Monday, who knows,' Duff said after the Derry game. Time, as it's proved, to think about his next step in football.
