Damien Duff & Stephen McManus join Celtic’s Academy coaching team

Liked his interview, said all the right things and is willing to learn everything. Wish he played for us in his time

 

Damian Duff has conceded that one of his failings is a tendency to curse too much but the former Republic of Ireland internationalist is sworn to getting the best out of those in the underbelly at Celtic.


Having eschewed the limelight and the glamorous trappings that came with his own time in the game, the straight talking 39-year-old will seek to marry traditional values with a modern ethos as he sets his sights on a coaching career.

Duff has arrived in Glasgow with his wife and children accompanying him – “I don’t know how anyone could go and leave the family behind” – so the commitment on his part is not there to be questioned. And he’ll expect the same from those looking to carve out the same kind of success that he enjoyed as a player.


I know you have to deal with players a bit differently,” he said. “Maybe some days I set my standards too high with everything but I’m hard, emotional and passionate.

“I hope the players appreciate it and there’s always a little place for being on a player. I was a volunteer at Shamrock Rovers because I wanted to help and I haven’t come here for money, believe me, but I’m here to learn and help players.”

Duff was criticised by parents during his tenure with Shamrock Rovers for having the under-15 side involved in dawn sessions, but it is the hunger and mentality that he believes players need to carve out a professional career. And the former winger doesn’t seem likely to suffer fools gladly as he gets his feet under the desk at Lennoxtown.

“I believe the players are up at half six in the morning at St Ninian’s four times a week,” he said. “We were the only football team at any level in Ireland to do it and I got slaughtered for doing it. That’s the mentality you’re kind of dealing with there at times but for me it’s the best time of day to work so it was amazing for me to hear they do it four times a week here.

“Agents don’t help and parents sometimes don’t either. They tell kids in the car home that they are this and that. Well, if you want to know the truth, then I will tell the truth. Parents can help in a good way but they can also hinder at times. I probably left a bit on them back home

But I will always tell the truth.”

A look at recent transfer windows would suggest it has never been more pressing for Celtic to produce their own talent. There has been success in that regard – Callum McGregor, James Forrest and Kieran Tierney have all been pivotal to Celtic’s domestic dominance under Brendan Rodgers but sustaining that conveyor belt is key given the club’s status in the global transfer market.

“Celtic do have to develop their own players,” said Duff. “Until Odsonne Edouard in the summer, Chris Sutton was still the record signing.

“That was a long time ago and we all know about the money in Scotland compared to England. So it’s important to have a strong academy and bring the players through.

“I am getting them at the final hurdle to get into the first team, which is potentially the hardest bit It’s all about the academy at Celtic. Down south, you can maybe get amazing moves to Man City and Chelsea at a young age. But how many break into the first team?

“At Celtic, this club is built around the academy and the gaffer wants to bring players through.”

 

Aye, Leicester Celtic.

Kidding on, he seems like a good guy. Hope he does well here.

 

Weird one for me. Idolised him as a player, even had a soft spot for Chelsea when he played there .. but then I watched his punditry for one or two of our CL games and having thought he was a Celtic fan beforehand got a totally different impression. Think it was before the City game where he was completely talking down our chances, saying we wouldn’t be able to live up to EPL tempo etc. Maybe it was me being overly sensitive to his comments but I didn’t think they sounded like they were coming from a genuine supporter of the club..

Having said that I’ve read a bit and listened to a bit of what he’s been doing at the Shamrock Rovers academy and been fairly impressed, looks for total professionalism and hard work and seems eager to improve as a coach, so I think he’ll get there.

 

McManus ahead of hendry and Boyata in the CB pecking order.

 

Duff ahead of Hendry and Booyata in the CB Pecking order.

 

To be fair, people were saying it about everybody else in the Premiership when it came to City. Wasn’t until we showed it was possible to match them that their season went off the wheels.

 

DAMIEN Duff considers Celtic the only place in the world he wants to be right now, having recently joined Tommy McIntyre as the Reserve squad's assistant manager. The two-time English Premier League winner and former Republic of Ireland captain describes his coaching style as full-on, with a view of getting the very best out of his players.

“I’m on at the players all the time, they’re probably sick of me already,” said the 39-year-old, in an exclusive interview with Celtic TV. “I’m pretty full-on, but hopefully they’ll realise that it’s only because I care. I’m only here, what, 10 days so far, but I’d love to see them get a run in the first-team and I’d be proud to see them do that, even if I’ve only played a minor part in it.”

Duff recalled working with Brendan Rodgers many years ago, during the Hoops boss’ time at Chelsea, and praised his reputation for developing young players. First-team stars such as Callum McGregor, James Forrest and Kieran Tierney epitomise the club’s approach to rising talent, and Duff is determined to push more prospects through the ranks.

Money can be a distraction to younger players, reckons Duff, and he sees it as his job to help teach the value of hard work, determination and perseverance in all aspects of their game.

“When I was 16, it wasn’t money that drove me, it never drove me when I was at Chelsea, winning a couple of league titles. It was just a love of the game,” Duff explained. “I think at times nowadays, that’s lost in young kids. I think they can do more, and I’m not talking about kids at Celtic, I’m talking about kids in general, and there are some people who just do enough.

“As I say, I’m full-on, I’ll drive my lads crazy, but I just always want more, and doing just enough isn’t enough for me. That won’t make a career. You don’t just come in and go home. You have to come in and empty the tank every single day.

 

Loved him as a player for the Boys in Green, and thought it was great that he went and finished his career on the LoI for Rovers. Predicting/hoping for great things.

 

One of the best reactions of the night..

How good was that full bench at the goal?

Class..

 

Damien Duff IMO is a similar character to Rodgers, he seems to use the same spiel to win people over but it doesn't seem genuine. His "I'd swim over to work for Celtic" is pretty much the same quote he used when talking about Fulham. Also I remember when he played for Newcastle and they got relegated he said something along the lines of 'I'm not going anywhere, we the players got the club relegated so we should stay and fight to get the club back in the premier league' then a week later he signed for Fulham. Whenever Fulham played Newcastle he'd then goad the Newcastle support and celebrate in front of them etc.
I'm not a fan, I believe he wants the managers job and I hope he never gets it as he just seems another snake oil salesman like BR

 

Wow

 

I’ve saw DD at Celtic games before he had anything to do with us so that would suggest he’s a genuine fan, same can’t be said for BR

 

Brilliant