Damien Duff has channelled the energy of his former boss Jose Mourinho on more than a few occasions during his time in charge of Shelbourne.
Duff's two years in charge at Tolka Park culminated in a dramatic League of Ireland title win on Friday evening, as Shels clinched the crown with an 84th-minute winner over Derry at the Brandywell.
Along the way, Duff has exuded "Special One" energy in several moments with the media and opposition fans - and with his own players. The character of Duff has undeniably been a huge part of why the League of Ireland has experienced a surge in popularity over the past few seasons.
After the conclusion of Friday's drama, the Shelbourne manager revealed that he had enlisted the help of Mourinho in a more direct manner. Ahead of the decider in Derry, Mourinho was one of a group of big names who sent a special motivational video message to the Shelbourne squad.
READ HERE: Damien Duff Shared Classy Moment With Derry Fans After Shelbourne Title Win
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Damien Duff reveals Shelbourne had inspiration from Jose Mourinho
Damien Duff won two Premier League titles under Jose Mourinho at Chelsea in the mid-2000s, and he is evidently still on good terms with the now-Fenerbahce boss.
Duff spoke after Friday night's epic title win and revealed that the Shelbourne squad had a special Instagram group where motivational messages were posted last week from the likes of rugby coach Ian McGeechan and Duff's childhood teammate Colin Hawkins.
As D-Day in Derry approached, Duff decided to reach out to his former manager - the master of the "siege mentality" which has defined Duff's Shelbourne this season.
I threw in ‘what about Jose?’
‘Why Jose?’ Because do I try and build, have we tried to build a siege mentality, us against the world like he did?
Absolutely. It would be mad not to tap into him. So Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, there was posts on the Instagram page. Powerful lyrics, powerful words that would resonate and have a meaning to tie in for tonight.
Then in the team meeting [today] there was a private message from Jose speaking about what it takes to win a title as a team, as an individual. It blew the guys away. A video that was shown in the Everglades two hours before the game.
As the team left the Everglades hotel en route for the Brandywell on Friday, one can only imagine the motivational power of a message from the Special One himself.
That was not the last part Jose would play.
Calling Jose after the title win 😅 pic.twitter.com/PCdvoHgCCt
— League of Ireland (@LeagueofIreland) November 2, 2024
A video posted on the League of Ireland's social media pages on Saturday morning revealed that Duff had attempted to FaceTime Mourinho in the Shelbourne dressing room with the celebrations in full flow.
Ultimately, the Special One did not pick up the phone. Unfortunately for Duff, he had promised to throw an extra €500 in the squad's celebration kitty if he failed to get an answer and no doubt he will be held to that by the players.
That being said, we imagine the Shelbourne squad won't have to buy a pint in Drumcondra for some time yet. If word gets out of Jose Mourinho's role in their title win, the same might just be said of him.
