SHELBOURNE BOSS Damien Duff says he is “too busy” to meet Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson for a pint or coffee, and has expressed concerns about the future of Irish football.

Speaking during the week, the Icelandic coach suggested a sit-down with Duff and Stephen Bradley, having expressed criticism of the direction of Irish football in the past, with the Shamrock Rovers boss claiming the FAI “don’t understand Irish football” after their much-publicised fallout with former Ireland women’s assistant boss Colin Healy.

Asked whether he would be open to the invitation, Duff replied: “I’m too busy here. Listen, I consciously made my mind up two weeks ago, I’m not commenting on the FAI again. Why?

“Stephen (Bradley) has jumped in and got involved now. I feel as if I’ve been fighting a fight on my own for the last three or four years, I’m sick of seeing the headline ‘Damien says this and slaughters the FAI’ so I’ve said it to the staff, I ain’t speaking, I ain’t going there again.

“So Joe [O'Brien], for a bit of banter, I think he sent me it this morning, saying that he [Heimir] would like to meet me and Bradz for a pint. I’ll tell you one thing for free — that would be a miserable night out.”

Duff was also asked about the dispute involving the Premier Clubs Alliance and the FAI, with the former saying they would refuse to release players for a “poorly conceived” coaching plan.

The ex-Blackburn and Chelsea star was reluctant to get into specifics but outlined his broader concerns about the future of Irish football.

“I’d never sidestep a question. I didn’t even know there was such a meeting. Was it Joe [O'Brien] or someone who told me what happened? I didn’t even read the article. I’ve literally no interest. I don’t.

“You can say it’s a bit harsh, it’s the future of Irish football. And this is no reference to the FAI, so please, no headlines. I know you write your thing and it goes to the headline-maker. I’d love to grab a hold of them because we’ve had our run-ins.

“But I’m worried for Irish football. No slant or me having a dig at the FAI. I’m worried, when are we going to qualify for another [tournament]. Hell knows.

“Even me, a passionate Irishman. I don’t even know what the game is this week. God’s honest truth. I only found out the other day it was Bulgaria, home and away. I’m not sure what it means. It’s a playoff. I don’t know. And that’s just the mood and the energy on the street.

“I’m not talking about the FAI here, I’m talking about Irish football. It’s so worrying. I asked my good friend the other day: ‘Do you want to go to the [Bulgaria] game?’ And he laughed at me.

“But tell your headline-makers, that’s not the FAI, that’s Irish football. He laughed at me. I’m not sure whether you would have laughed back in the day. He laughed.”

Meanwhile, Duff was not pleased with his Shels side’s display following last night’s 1-1 draw with Cork City.

“I didn’t like [the performance]. I could smell it. Sometimes you can’t articulate why you can smell it.

“I spoke last week about the Drogheda result, and it’s no disrespect to Drogheda, that the disappointment over it was certainly, for me, one of the worst in the four years.

“Tonight, it was probably one of our worst halves of football in the four years. On what I don’t like about us, at the minute, I think sometimes sport and football reward hard work, honesty and togetherness. Forget even about tactics and where to stand, it’s the three things — honesty, hard work and togetherness. I’m not sure where we’re at with that at the minute.”