Damien Duff retires from International Football

[Cianostays]

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/irish/20 ... ther-pace/

First Shay and now Duffer

This is getting as bad as the summer of 2010 when Girv, Mal and Birch rode off into the sunset.

Thanks for all your efforts in green Damien and may you enjoy the rest of your playing career

[Donny B.]

Great player for us who always gave his all, however when you remember how good he was in 2002 in the World Cup, there is the slightly bittersweet taste of a great talent unfulfilled. Always thought he was given really bad advice when discarded by Chelsea, where he was a big part of their first title win. He was still only 27 and should have said "f**k you" and looked to move to a big club (Liverpool were interested). However he was quite happy to take a cut price move cynically engineered by Mourinho to Newcastle "where I'll get my game" and it was pretty much downhill from there. Yeah he's done alright for Fulham but you always felt there was more in him if he only had a bit more ambition.

Anyway, he always showed up for Ireland and deserves credit for that. Good luck to him!

[Sauvignon Blank]

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/irish/20 ... ther-pace/

First Shay and now Duffer


Thanks for all your efforts in green Damien and may you enjoy the rest of your playing career

Exactly. Great servant to Ireland.

Well in Duffer

[fourthirtythree]

Great player for us who always gave his all, however when you remember how good he was in 2002 in the World Cup, there is the slightly bittersweet taste of a great talent unfulfilled. Always thought he was given really bad advice when discarded by Chelsea, where he was a big part of their first title win. He was still only 27 and should have said "f**k you" and looked to move to a big club (Liverpool were interested). However he was quite happy to take a cut price move cynically engineered by Mourinho to Newcastle "where I'll get my game" and it was pretty much downhill from there. Yeah he's done alright for Fulham but you always felt there was more in him if he only had a bit more ambition.

Anyway, he always showed up for Ireland and deserves credit for that. Good luck to him!

My memory is that he was discarded partially due to being injury prone at that time. He had a couple of long layoffs for injury so I don't think the big clubs were lining up for him. While he made the FIFA team of the tournament in '02 he didn't really get the credit in England that he deserved and was considered completely one sided (which wasn't correct of course) particularly compared to Robben.

I'm actually amazed he had a career at the level he did for the length of time he has had considering his mid career injuries.

I remember myself and the Da watching Robbie Keane and him playing at an A international in... Dalymount was it? just after their underage success and him blemming a ball against the hoardings at the far end of the ground. Couldn't believe the power he got into it given he looked like about 60kilos wet.

Anyway: another guy who gave it all and turned up, through lean years devoid of glamour. Probably annoyed opposition fans a lot due to his tendency to fall over if you looked at him.

[IanD]

Duff could be back...... for one cap (just guessing).

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/internat ... ecognised/