Damien Duff has doubled down on his comments of disinterest in the FAI's continued search for a new Ireland head coach.
With reports filtering in from Greece over the weekend that Gus Poyet has turned down a five-year contract to take over as Stephen Kenny's permanent replacement, the picture is even more muddled and unclear as to who will end up in the hot seat.
Duff has been in charge of Shelbourne since 2021 and has overseen a transformation in the club's fortunes which now has them a remarkable eight points clear at the top of the table with just eight games played.
Shels were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Derry City during the Bank Holiday Monday League of Ireland action, but they remain undefeated and firmly in the driving seat at the top of the table.
Such form would normally have someone in the mix to take over a vacant role with the national team, but Duff has long since ruled himself out of contention. On Friday night, Duff threw a dig at the Irish setup, saying that the League of Ireland was more important to fans than the national team.
He doubled down on those comments after Monday's draw with Derry.
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Damien Duff explains comments on FAI's Ireland manager hunt
1 April 2024; Shelbourne manager Damien Duff celebrates after the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match between Shelbourne and Derry City at Tolka Park in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Duff was asked to clarify his perceived slight on the Irish national team and explained that he had instead been speaking about the special place that the League of Ireland had for many football fans in this country.
The ex-Ireland international went on to say that the FAI could hire any Ireland manager that they wanted but nothing would change without added investment in the League of Ireland academies which will produce the next generation of Irish internationals:
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. Get the best manager in the world, Pep Guardiola or whoever, it still starts with academies. The manager who comes in will be long gone by the time academies start churning out the players.
That’s why the league is the future. I love my national team. I stand over again what I said – the bit (in Irish football) 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.
I love my national team. I stand over again what I said – 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.
Duff's passion and affection for Shelbourne and the league as a whole has been evident since his arrival in Drucmondra two seasons ago, and he evidently has no intention of leaving his current post any time soon.
This is not the first time he has publicly called for investment in the league's academies. When the Irish Government announced that they would invest €50 million in the redevelopment of Casement Park in Belfast for EURO 2028, Duff suggested that that money should instead be invested in youth development in this country.
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