Former Chelsea winger Damien Duff is enjoying quite the managerial rise after guiding Shelbourne FC to the League of Ireland title this week.
The 45-year-old and his side pipped the 21-time League of Ireland winners, Shamrock Rovers to top spot, after they beat Derry City 1-0 on Friday thanks to Harry Wood's 85th-minute winner.
It's the first time Shelbourne have won the title in 18 years, in a period where Duff has been credited for reinvigorating Irish football, with his managerial presence a breath of fresh air.
Duff was sent a video message by his ex-Blues boss, Jose Mourinho, in the build-up to Friday's must-win game, with the Fenerbahce head coach sending some words of encouragement for the Irish outfit.
“We try to build a siege mentality, against the world, like [Mourinho] did," he said via . "[So] today in the team meeting there was a private message from José, speaking about what it takes to win a title as a team, as an individual, and it blew the guys away.
"I died on the pitch for José … everyone hated Chelsea, everyone hates us, it just tied in nicely, it felt right.”
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But after the full-time whistle sounded and Shelbourne were crowned champions, Duff once again tried to call Mourinho for a catch-up, but unfortunately, he was aired.
Much to the joy of his players inside the dressing room, Duff can be heard being ridiculed for his laddish behaviour, which adds to his likeable persona, which has clearly yielded success over in his home country this season.
Having been in charge at Shelbourne since 2021, the 45-year-old also admitted that his managerial success in Ireland eclipses anything he did as a player, even after winning two Premier League titles.
"I've openly said over the last few weeks that it would be the pinnacle of my professional career and it absolutely wipes the floor with it," he added.
