Damien Duff sat down with Graham Hunter to participate in the Scottish journalist's highly respected podcast 'The Big Interview' last week, and what came out of it was an hour and fifteen minutes of pure gold for Irish football fans.
Duffer was on top form as he talked about the highs while at Chelsea, the lows of Newcastle, his retirement, and of course the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship where he starred in an Irish side that finished in 3rd place.
Brian Kerr was the man who lead that team, and the other successful Irish youth teams that emerged at that time, and Duff was very clear that the former Ireland manager was a big reason for his, and the other players, impressive performances.
Since he was sacked back in 2005, Kerr has not been involved with the FAI or the Irish youth setup since, and that is something Duff cannot understand.
That's the one thing, the passion he brought was there obviously, but he could always get an extra 10/20% out of us [by reminding us] about being a proud Irishman and how your family and friends are back home thinking of you now.
Like we used to be in tears, literally, going out onto the pitch.
Side issue, but how Brian Kerr isn't involved in underage football in Ireland is a disgrace.
Hunter then showed Duff a question sent in by a listener who was also wondering about Kerr, so the side issue then became the focus of discussion as the former Chelsea winger continued:
I have to be careful about what I say now, but talking myself and yourself earlier about love of the game, Brian Kerr's got that.
I just can't fathom how he's not involved in Irish football, he's on Setanta TV and he does a bit of radio, you name any footballer in the world and he'll tell you about them now. His knowledge of the game is second to none, his passion, if you go ask Robbie or any of the lads that were with him, it's obviously because of them that he got the senior job, and he didn't do too badly. It was us!
He got us to 12th or something in the World which is our best ever, and if it wasn't for two late goals against Israel home and away, which was nothing to do with him, we would have won the group.
The idea that Brian Kerr was harshly judged on his time as Ireland manager is something that has been popping up regularly in recent years, and Duff has joined the likes of Roy Keane in publicly declaring that he feels he should have been kept on.
Regardless, the fact that Kerr isn't making our U16 and U17 teams cry tears of pride before taking to the pitch (OK, maybe not for every game) is something we can't get our head around, and hearing Duff speak so adamantly in favour of the idea, it just makes it even more confusing.
Graham Hunter's podcasts are excellent, and if you're not listening to them, you're missing out.
