David Sneyd

DAMIEN DUFF INSISTS he wasn’t being disrespectful to the current Republic of Ireland squad and set-up when he described the League of Ireland as “the leading light of Irish football” and something “every true Irish football fan” had been looking forward to during the recent international window.

The Shelbourne manager, speaking after his side’s 0-0 draw with Derry City which saw their lead at the top of the Premier Division increase to eight points, said any players offended could get in touch for him to explain his comments further, as he reiterated his assertion that increased funding for the development of academies is the only way fortunes will change for the men’s senior team.

Duff said he still loves the Ireland team and didn’t want to be seen to be bashing them, but did express his disinterest in the current managerial search, which has taken another twist in recent days.

“People might laugh at me about the league, that it’s more important. What I said the other day, I meant it. I’m looking you in the eyes saying I meant it,” Duff said.

“The future and the quality of the Irish team in the next five, 10 years is going to come from the league. Everyone is probably saying that Duffer is crazy. I’m not crazy, I’m emotional. I adore football, I love my national team. And like I always say it’s got to be ‘the league, the league, the league’. I stand over again what I said watching the games, the bit that gives me hope and pleasure is watching the league, not the international break.

“I absolutely believe that a lot of football fans around the country were waiting for the league to come back and the international window to finish. But regardless of the manager, I really have no interest now,” he continued.

“I’m sure everybody in the Irish team, even players, might have looked at that quote the other day and probably thought I disrespected them or whatever. Get them to ring me, text me, and I’ll ring them and explain why.

“I stand over it, and when I say the league is the future it comes from the academies. It’s all back to academies. Get the best manager in the world, Pep Guardiola or whoever, it still starts with academies. That’s why the league is the future.”

Duff said that he would like to see former Ireland teammate John O’Shea get the job on a permanent basis after his stint in interim charge for the draw with Belgium and defeat to Switzerland but stressed that it will be a long time before the international boss gets the benefit of work that needs to be done domestically.

“I’m not saying pick five players off our team. It’s academies, academies, academies. By the time academy structures are properly in place, money is invested, the manager who comes in [now] will be long gone by the time academies start churning out the players. If I’m a manager taking over Ireland tomorrow you’re not really going to be given time to wait for academy players coming through. It’s a results business,” he said.

“John O’Shea is there. He is a classy guy, has surrounded himself with a good background team, why not leave him at it? I love the Irish international team the same as everyone else. I hope they do well. I hope John gets the job, if he doesn’t I hope the person who comes in does a good job. I am so transfixed on the League. I love it. This has been the best two and a half years of my life and again people might say, ‘what is Duffer saying?’ But I mean it. This has been amazing fun.

“I don’t even know what to say about the international scene. I don’t want it to come across that I am bashing it. I am not.”

Duff revealed in February that he had been approached through an intermediary on behalf of the FAI about his interest in the Ireland job but confirmed it was of no interest, a point which he again stated as Gus Poyet now looks to be frontrunner.

“The grass is not always greener, I am surrounded by players I trust. Trust goes a long way with me. I work with a lot of quality people that I love, I trust, I care about it. I would be crazy to walk away from something like that, something I love.”

That connection to his players and staff was evident after the draw with Derry, with Duff revealing that his squad had been decimated by a virus over the weekend.

“I’d go as far to say that is probably the best point we’ve earned in two and a bit years and you’re probably looking at me going, ‘are you crazy?’. I’m not. The whole squad is sick, there is some almighty virus going around so they’ve been on the toilet, in the toilet, Boydy (Sean Boyd) is not even sitting in the dugout, a few of the guys in separate dressing rooms earlier, changing the team a couple of times, squad, bench everything so the effort they put in, absolutely heroes because they were dead on their feet.

“Post Friday, so late Friday night, I think it started Coyler (Mark Coyle) in the Castleknock house and he spread it like wildfire from there. Maybe it started in Donegal, I don’t know, but it probably wasn’t a pretty watch.

“I thought the pitch was awful. You can argue that Derry kept the ball very well, yeah they kept it very well in their defensive third under no pressure. I felt at half time we were very secure, we felt if there were chances moments in the game, it was us. So I couldn’t be prouder of them, what a bunch of guys.”