Premier League winner Damien Duff enjoyed his first title triumph as a manager at the weekend, helping Shelbourne to the League of Ireland title in dramatic circumstances.
Though they were two points ahead of Dublin-based rivals Shamrock Rovers heading into the final day, Shelbourne’s inferior goal difference meant they likely needed a victory to secure their first league title in 18 years.
Shamrock Rovers were winning 2-1 heading into the final minutes, while Shelbourne were still goalless away at Derry City. Substitute Harry Wood scored in the 85th minute to win the title for Shelbourne, though, sparking scenes of jubilation from Duff and the rest of his team.
Premier League winner Damien Duff lost €500 from title victory
Calling Jose after the title win 😅 pic.twitter.com/PCdvoHgCCtNovember 2, 2024
Winning the title means Duff has lost €500. however. While celebrating the win in the dressing room after the game, the former Premier League winner attempted to phone his former manager Jose Mourinho, offering his players a ‘monkey’ – €500 – if the Portuguese boss didn’t pick up.
Mourinho, who won two Premier League titles with Duff at Chelsea in the mid-2000s, didn’t answer, leaving the 45-year-old Shelbourne boss having to contribute a nice bonus to their celebration party.
Despite being snubbed in the dressing room – it would have been the early hours of the morning in Turkey for Mourinho – the Fenerbahce manager had sent Duff and his squad a message in the build-up to their crucial game.
“Why Jose? Because do I try and build, have we tried to build a siege mentality, us against the world like he did? Absolutely,” Duff told the Irish Independent.
“It would be mad not to tap into him. So Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, there was posts on the Instagram page. Powerful lyrics, powerful words that would resonate and have a meaning to tie in for tonight.
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“Then, in the team meeting, there was a private message from Jose speaking about what it takes to win a title as a team, as an individual. It blew the guys away. A video that was shown in the Everglades two hours before the game.”
Duff worked at the Republic of Ireland national team and Celtic as first team coach and assistant manager since retiring from professional football in 2015, before landing the top job at Shelbourne in 2021.
