Top facts about Damien Duff, Duffman

Damien Anthony Duff (born March 2, 1979) is an Irish football manager and former player who mostly played as a winger. He is now the manager of Shelbourne in the League of Ireland.

Damien Duff’s age

is 43. Here, you can find out the most important facts about Damien Duff, Former Ireland winger.

An important fact about Damien Duff is that he started his professional career at Blackburn Rovers, where he won the Football League Cup, before being recruited by Chelsea in 2003 for £17 million, where he won two Premier League championships and another League Cup.

He went on to

after four seasons at Stamford Bridge, where he won the 2006 UEFA Intertoto Cup, and then to Fulham, where he appeared in the 2010 UEFA Europa League Final.

Before retiring in December 2015, he had short stints in the A-League with Melbourne City and the League of Ireland with Shamrock Rovers. Since then, he has worked with Shamrock Rovers, Celtic, and the Republic of Ireland junior teams as a coach.

Between 1998 and 2012, Duff represented the Republic of Ireland in international football for 14 years, gaining 100 caps. He represented his nation in the FIFA World Cup in 2002 and at UEFA Euro 2012. Duff was a part of RTÉ Sport's coverage of the UEFA Euro 2016 and UEFA Euro 2020 tournaments.

Top facts about Damien Duff:

In 2020, Damien Duff was announced as the assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland senior team to Stephen Kenny, who replaced Mick McCarthy.

Damien Duff early life

Damien Duff was born in the Dublin suburb of Ballyboden. After playing for Leicester Celtic, Lourdes Celtic, and St. Kevin's Boys as a youngster in Dublin, Duff joined Blackburn Rovers as a trainee in 1996. There is no information available regarding

Damien Duff’s parents

.

Regarding

Damien Duff’s childhood

, it should be mentioned that he made his Blackburn debut against

on the last day of the 1996–97 season, winning Man of the Match for his efforts. He scored five goals in his first full season. The next season, Blackburn was demoted.

Damien Duff personal life

In June 2010, Duff married Elaine at Babington House in Somerset, near Midsomer Norton. Woody, the couple's first child, was born in the county a year later. Duff is also a rugby aficionado who knows a few of Ireland's international players.

Duff was worth £14 million according to the February 2009 edition of FourFourTwo magazine, which ranked him 92nd on the magazine's 2009 Football Rich List.

Damien Duff professional career

Damien Duff has announced his retirement from professional football after a career lasting 20 years. He announced his retirement from international football on 24 August 2012, after Ireland were knocked out of the European Championships.

Damien Duff club playing career

An important fact about Damien Duff is that he was named Player of the Year after helping Blackburn return to the Premier League in 2001 and then winning the League Cup in 2002, defeating

2–1 at the Millennium Stadium.

Duff signed a new four-year deal with Rovers after the 2002 World Cup. Despite injuries, he was Blackburn's leading striker in the 2002–03 season, scoring 11 goals to help his club finish sixth and qualify for the UEFA Cup.

Chelsea

Chelsea made a series of proposals for Duff in the build-up to the 2003–04 season, culminating in a £17 million offer that triggered a release clause in the player's contract. In July, Duff made the decision to relocate to West London.

Duff made his Champions League debut against MK ilina in August 2003, after being signed by manager

as part of Chelsea's development, which was funded by new owner

. Chelsea triumphed 2–0, and Duff was dubbed the "show-stopper."

On September 20, 2003, he scored his first Chelsea goal in a 5–0 away triumph against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Duff was voted Man of the Match after scoring the third Chelsea goal. Duff scored five goals in 23 appearances for Chelsea in all competitions during the 2003–04 season.

He did not play in the Champions League semi-finals as Chelsea lost to AS Monaco, but he was instrumental in securing Chelsea's second-place finish in the Premier League, the club's highest league finish in 49 years, as well as being a part of the Champions League run, but the season ended trophyless and with Claudio Ranieri's dismissal.

Duff's starting spot in the 2004–05 season was threatened by the signing of Dutch winger Arjen Robben and new manager José Mourinho, but Robben's injury at the start of the season left Duff as the only available winger.

However, in the early part of the 2004–05 season, Mourinho did not use Duff, preferring a more limited strategy. After four games, Duff was promoted to the starting lineup, and when Robben returned, Duff's flexibility allowed him to shift to the right flank and develop a wing combination with Robben.

For both Duff and Chelsea, the season was a triumph. He scored 10 goals, including a critical goal in a 4–2 Champions League triumph against Barcelona, while the squad won the Premier League championship by 12 points over second-placed Arsenal and the League Cup, in which Duff scored the game-winning goal against Manchester United in the semi-final.

In the next season, he scored three goals in 28 league games to help the team maintain their Premier League crown.

Newcastle United

An important

fact about Damien Duff

is that he signed a five-year deal with Newcastle United in July 2006, for a fee of £5 million. On August 10, 2006, Duff made his competitive debut in a UEFA Cup second round qualifying first leg encounter against Ventspils of Latvia.

In September of that year, he scored his first goal for Newcastle in a 2–0 win against West Ham United at the Boleyn Ground.

In November, Duff had a knee injury that kept him out for four months, at which time Newcastle were on a losing streak. After returning from an ankle injury suffered in a 2–1 defeat to Portsmouth in April 2007, he was declared out for the remainder of the season.

Duff's injury was subsequently termed by Sam Allardyce as "career threatening." Duff was asked to play left back during Alan Shearer's brief term as temporary manager.

Duff scored the decisive own goal in the last match of the 2008–09 season, against

, in a key relegation decider, by deflecting in a 20-yard effort by Villa's Gareth Barry, which sent Newcastle down.

Duff has said that he intends to remain at the demoted team and assist in their return to the Premier League. Duff scored Newcastle's first goal of the 2009–10 season in a 1–1 draw with West Bromwich Albion on August 8, 2009.

Fulham

An important fact about Damien Duff is that he returned to the Premier League after one season with Newcastle in 2009–10, signing a three-year deal with Fulham for £4 million and reuniting with Roy Hodgson, his first manager at Blackburn Rovers.

In a 3–1 triumph against Amkar Perm, he made his Fulham debut as a substitute, setting up the third goal in the Cottagers' UEFA Europa League qualification match.

Duff scored his first league goal for Fulham in a 2–1 win against Everton on September 13, 2009, in the 79th minute.

Duff scored in the 75th minute of a 3–0 win against Manchester United on December 19, 2009. Duff began the game against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on January 17, 2010, and played the whole 90 minutes in a 2–0 loss.

He started and played the entire 90 minutes against Manchester United at Craven Cottage on August 22, 2010, in a 2–2 draw with a booking.

An important fact about Damien Duff is that he started and played the full 1–1 draw against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on September 18, 2010. Duff made his 500th appearance in English football on January 15, 2011, when he started against Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium and played the full 90 minutes in a 1–1 draw.

He began the Premier League match against Aston Villa at Villa Park on 5 February 2011, but was substituted on 67 minutes by Simon Davies. In a 1–1 tie with

at Eastlands on February 27, 2011, he played the entire 90 minutes and scored a goal.

Duff scored a brace in a 3–2 triumph against former club Blackburn Rovers at Craven Cottage on March 5, 2011. With the two goals, he extended his four-goal streak to five games.

Duff said the following about Fulham and his time there: "I'd like to believe that here at Fulham, I've rediscovered my footing. It's a pleasant atmosphere in which the participants feel at ease. This is a club with a lot of personality, and I'm excited to be a part of it."

Duff made 27 appearances and scored four goals in all competitions at the conclusion of the 2010–11 season, including 24 Premier League games. Duff's current contract was extended for another year on August 19, 2011.

An important

fact about Damien Duff

is that he scored in Fulham's 2–1 victory against

on March 31, 2012, after going nine games without scoring.

On April 7, 2012, he scored twice in Fulham's 0–3 away victory against Bolton Wanderers, setting up Clint Dempsey for the game's second goal. He was a constant danger on the right wing throughout the encounter, which was his 350th league appearance.

Duff scored the first goal in Fulham's 5–0 triumph against Norwich City on the opening day of the 2012–13 Premier League season on August 18, 2012. In the next game, a 3–2 loss against Manchester United, he scored once more.

A notable fact about Damien Duff is that he signed a new deal with Fulham on February 22, 2013, which would keep him at the club until the summer of 2014.

Duff announced his decision to quit Fulham at the conclusion of the 2013–14 season on April 16, 2014. According to Duff, who spoke to The Irish Times, "I'm going to leave Fulham. The club hasn't contacted me, and I haven't contacted the club, but we don't need to communicate." On May 23, he was let go from the team.

Melbourne

Duff signed a one-year free transfer agreement with Melbourne City in the Australian A-League in June 2014. On the opening day of the season, Duff made his A-League debut, assisting David Villa for his first goal. In a 5–2 triumph against the Newcastle Jets, Duff scored his first goal.

Duff announced his departure from Melbourne City in March 2015, stating that he will return to his country to end his career in the League of Ireland.

Shamrock Rovers

A notable fact about Damien Duff is that he joined with Shamrock Rovers of the League of Ireland Premier Division on July 14, 2015, and said that he would be giving his money to charity.

He announced his retirement from football on December 21, 2015, after nine appearances for the Dublin-based club.

Damien Duff international playing career

Duff represented the Republic of Ireland at the 1997 UEFA European Under-18 Football Championship finals in Iceland, as well as the FIFA World Youth Championships in 1997 and 1999. He scored the first ever Golden Goal in a World Cup match in Malaysia.

In 1998, he made his senior international debut for the Republic of Ireland against the Czech Republic. He was the sixth most capped player in Irish history, with 100 caps. He made 82 appearances for the Republic of Ireland senior team, scoring eight goals in the process.

He was named the team's player of the tournament after playing every game for Republic of Ireland in the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

A notable fact about Damien Duff is that he punctuated his goal with an oriental bow after scoring against Saudi Arabia on route to the second round of the FIFA World Cup, which is frequently referred to as one of the most memorable moments of his international career.

Despite a terrible campaign, failure to qualify, and a change of management during the UEFA Euro 2004 qualifiers, he managed to score two goals against Georgia and Russia.

He was a constant presence for the Republic of Ireland throughout their 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, although they failed to qualify again.

After early losses to Germany and a devastating 5–2 loss to Cyprus, Duff's old teammate Steve Staunton took over as manager, but the Irish failed to qualify for another major tournament, prompting another managerial change.

Duff began the new manager

's first game in command on May 24, 2008, against Serbia, which finished in a 1–1 tie.

A notable fact about Damien Duff is that he became an important player of the team, assisting on a number of goals. As the Irish were controversially knocked out 2–1 on aggregate after extra-time, he started both games against France.

Duff was a constant presence on the wings for the Republic of Ireland throughout their UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying campaign, and he was a key member of the side that qualified for the tournament with an incredible 5–1 aggregate play-off triumph against Estonia.

He was chosen to Trapattoni's 23-man Euro 2012 squad and handed the number 11 shirt. He led the Republic of Ireland against Italy in their last group game of the tournament on June 18, 2012, in his 100th cap. This turned out to be his last match as a member of the national team. On August 24, 2012, he declared his retirement from international football.

Damien Duff coaching career

Duff managed Shamrock Rovers' under-15 squad during his last season as a player. On April 16, 2016, he revealed that he will be taking on a coaching position with the Republic of Ireland under-15s, following the FAI High Performance Director, Ruud Dokter's request that more ex-internationals be engaged in coaching roles with the national team setup.

Shamrock Rovers and Celtic

A notable fact about Damien Duff is that he joined the Shamrock Rovers first-team coaching staff on July 31, 2016, for the remainder of the season, with the goal of taking over the under-15 squad he previously led, which was then participating in the League of Ireland U17 Division.

In January 2019, Duff was promoted to Celtic's reserve squad coaching staff. When Celtic's interim manager, Neil Lennon, took over in February 2019, Duff was elevated to first-team coach, and John Kennedy to assistant manager.

Following the club's third consecutive domestic triple, Lennon was promoted to permanent manager, with Duff and Kennedy remaining in temporary positions. Celtic won their eighth league championship in a row and their fourth League Cup in a row in 2019–20.

Republic of Ireland

On April 5, 2020, Duff was named as Stephen Kenny's assistant manager for the Republic of Ireland senior squad, succeeding Mick McCarthy.

On June 24, 2020, it was reported that Duff will become head coach of the under 17 squad at League of Ireland club Shelbourne, in addition to his duties as assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland senior side. Duff resigned as Kenny's assistant on January 8, 2021.

Shelbourne

A notable

fact about Damien Duff

is that he was named first team manager of League of Ireland Premier Division side Shelbourne on November 3, 2021.

On February 18, 2022, he lost 3–0 at home to rivals St Patrick's Athletic in his debut match as a senior manager.

Damien Duff legacy

The golden days of Blackburn Rovers are long gone, but the tiny band of devoted romantics out there could find some solace in the naïve conviction that the glorious fantasies of their beloved club's past are much more appealing than the bleak reality of the present.

It might be painful for fans to look back on happier times. They create nostalgic scenes full of contrast and color, but there are those players who can make all the contemplation worthwhile, and Damien Duff is one of them for Rovers.

The Blue and White Army, formerly a powerhouse of English football, used to be a formidable team that was seldom beaten on their day. They are now suffering in the Championship, doomed to spend another season in one of the most difficult divisions in European sports.

To make things worse, they are far behind their main rivals

, who seem to be on track for automatic promotion to the Premier League.

Their historic championship triumph at the end of the 1994/95 season is now a distant memory, and although there are plenty of lessons for the club to learn from in the aftermath of the subsequent seasons before the century, many will feel that such stories provide little consolation today.

Worryingly, the fans have grown accustomed to the blandness that currently consumes them, and have done so for some time.

However, there was a brief period of virtue in the years between their crowning success and their current mediocrity that provided the fans with plenty to get excited about – and Duff was pivotal to it.

Duff never played for one of the League of Ireland's best teams, unlike many of today's rising talents hoping to make their way from Ireland to a bright career in British football.

His inaugural speech on the big stage gave excitement, curiosity, and hope for the future, but it was his ability to turn that promise into full-blooded orations that earned him a frightening reputation.

He swiftly adapted to the rigors of world-class football after being thrust into the spotlight, but his ability to overcome the difficulties and exceed everyone else on the field of play was not only a reflex tick from a young kid trained to stay afloat.

Despite the fact that his early contributions wowed his followers, the boy called "Duffer" had much more to give.

He scored 27 goals in 185 league games for Rovers during his time there. His scorching stampedes down the left wing established him as a force to be reckoned with, and the signature performances he put on with the Riversiders helped him earn some much-needed confidence.

He was a quick-footed runner who drew attention with his darting dashes and delectable dribbling skills, as well as his fair share of goals.

The defenders hell-bent on stopping him, scything down blades of grass with the scissoring studs of his boots, were fences only a thoroughbred could leap over with ease, and he made sure he flew over them with a hop, skip, and a gallop time after time; it was mesmeric to see.

More significantly, he utilized his skill to deliver silverware to the club's trophy cabinet for the first time since their tremendous league success under Kenny Dalglish when he played a key part in their 2002 Worthington Cup triumph, with the likes of Matt Jansen, Tugay, and Andrew Cole.

One of his most distinguishing characteristics was the way he brought his whole self to the pitch. Nobody could accuse the Irish great of putting in a half-hearted effort wherever he went, and he was always loyal, regardless of whatever color jersey he was wearing.

He was a hard worker who was extremely good at what he did, so it came as no surprise when, in the summer of 2003, a trio of large clubs engaged in a bidding war for his services after establishing his worth on a team with minimal resources.

Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea all tried to entice him away, but he chose the growing force among them.

The Londoners not only won the fight, but also Duff's signature, as the clever flanker was one of Roman Abramovich's first big acquisitions. The fortunate clash of raw talent with the dawning of a new age of super-clubs resulted in a magnificent final product.

When things could have easily gone sour, they did so impeccably, and it was thanks in large part to Duff's raw energy and vivacity that the partnership quickly accumulated silverware, points, and plenty of firepower in their attempt to challenge the title oligarchy ruled by both Manchester United and

from the mid-90s to the mid-noughties.

Duff was entering a highly experimental time in their history as one of the first players to join under the Russian billionaire's ownership, so the ground was a touch insecure despite all of the hope and enthusiasm that had been bred by the supporters.

It would have been easy for them to see Duffer as their shining knight in blue, ready to deliver instant success, but the pressure washed right off his shoulders as he became a cult hero, winning two Premier League titles, an FA Community Shield, and adding to the League Cup he had already won with Blackburn.

A weaker player's resolve would have been tested from the start, but Duff, ever the cool customer, kept concentrated and set on doing what he did best.

While his off-field demeanor was laid-back and charming, his match-day mindset was an entirely other animal, and he gorged himself on the football banquet like a starving wolf.

If his Premier League victories were a raging fire, his latter tenures were more akin to a fireplace of shifting embers.

However, it was his time with the Republic of Ireland on the world scene that gave him with some of his most memorable memories.

The mischievous winger is one of just six Irish players to have earned 100 caps for the national team since his debut against the Czech Republic in 1998, a monument to how hardworking and committed a star he really was.

Even his very kind choice to give all of his pay from his brief stint with Shamrock Rovers to charity was the farthest thing from a PR stunt. Everyone knew it was Duff who was doing it because he wanted to assist people and make a good impact in their lives.

That was, after all, all he intended to do when he first entered the sport, and he accomplished it time and time again with great passion and style.

He was a deft player who understood how to get the most out of himself. He had his own set of befuddling techniques and knew how to get the most out of himself.

His engine went out sooner than many would have wanted due to injuries, yet he accomplished so much during his height that it would be selfish to be dissatisfied with what he delivered.

Duff wouldn't have deceived himself into thinking he was in the same league as the

or Ronaldinhos, but he played with an instinctive sense of self-belief that saw him achieve those same heights of jaw-dropping brilliance, at least for a few seasons.

He was one of Ireland's top players, and he was without a doubt one of the Premier League's best imports. He left an indelible stamp on the game, pushing himself beyond his own boundaries and giving all he had to produce some incredible mementos.

Damien Duff social media

Regarding

Damien Duff social media

, it should be mentioned that he does not have any pages on any social media platforms.

Damien Duff body measurements

Speaking about

Damien Duff body measurements

, it should be mentioned that the former player is 177cm and 59kg.

Damien Duff net worth and salary

Damien Duff's net worth

is estimated to be around $12 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.

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