Duff poised to lead Shels in top-flight
By Daire Walsh
BALLYBODEN man Damien Duff is set to take his first step into senior management in 2022 as new first-team boss of Shelbourne FC.
Recently crowned as SSE Airtricity League First Division champions with just two defeats in 27 games, Shels have been on the lookout for a new head coach since previous incumbent Ian Morris made the decision to step down at the end of the current campaign.
While Morris’ final game in charge was only last Friday, the Drumcondra-based outfit moved quickly to try and get a new man in place for their return to the top-flight.
Given he has been overseeing the club’s Under 17 team in recent times, Duff was earmarked as the ideal candidate for the role.
After some initial hesitancy, the 42-year-old has opted to take this major leap forward with the newly-promoted Reds.
Having brought the curtain down on an illustrious playing career that saw him win a brace of Premier League titles with Chelsea and earn 100 senior international caps, Duff subsequently moved into underage coaching roles with Shamrock Rovers and the Republic of Ireland.
He went on to become Celtic reserve team coach in January 2019, before being promoted to the first-team set-up under new manager Neil Lennon just a month later.
A stint in Stephen Kenny’s Republic of Ireland international backroom team was to follow, but he brought his nine-month involvement with the side to an end in January of this year.