Damien Duff identifies a surprise 'bundle of nerves' ahead of League of Ireland D-Day
Shelbourne boss Damien Duff has described himself as 'cool and calm' ahead of the Derry City clash.
Damien Duff has revealed that there is just one “bundle of nervous energy” in his circle right now - and it’s not any of his title-chasing players or coaching team.
Duff’s wife Elaine is struggling to cope with the anticipation of a final day decider, while the Shelbourne boss himself is an oasis of calm ahead of tonight’s trip to Derry City.
A win guarantees a first league crown for the Tolka Park side in 18 years, regardless of what happens between second-placed Shamrock Rovers and Waterford.
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If the Reds drop points at the Ryan McBride Brandywell, however, a win for Rovers would earn them an unprecedented five-in-a-row.
It’s all a bit too much for Mrs Duff, according to the legendary former Chelsea and Ireland winger.
“All I can speak for is myself, at the minute I am as cool and as calm, believe it or not, as I have ever been,” he said last night.
“The players have seen it, they have been playing and training at a top level for weeks now.
“The most nervous person in my life now is my wife, she's a bundle of nervous energy walking around the house, keeps wanting to talk about permutations and what if this happens, whereas I don't want to talk about football at all.
“There's absolutely no nerves. Should there be? I don't know but we are calm, very focused and we will be highly motivated on Friday night.”
Meanwhile, Duff would love to be heading to the Ryan McBride Brandywell tonight with the league title already in the bag - but he admits it would be all the sweeter to win it on the field of play.
Shelbourne would have sealed the Premier Division crown if Shamrock Rovers had dropped points away to Dundalk last weekend.
Rovers won 1-0 as Duff watched on from his living room and he said: “Maybe I’m surprising myself with it, I’m totally fine.
“Probably the most nervous I’ve been all year was watching Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers the other night because you can’t affect anything and you’re sat on your sofa.
“Maybe it would have been nice to win it on your sofa last Sunday, but I think the real place to win the trophy is in the trenches, not in your living room.”
Duff is all ready for more last-day drama, after experiencing it at the wrong end of the table as a player.
His two Premier League wins with Chelsea were comfortably achieved long before the last game of the season - by 12 points over Arsenal and eight ahead of Manchester United.
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“I got relegated three times,” said Duff. “At Blackburn I was a young boy, it probably hit me hard because I felt the responsibility of it.
“Fulham, a club close to my heart, but I probably wasn’t involved because I had a bad injury, I still felt it.
“Obviously the Newcastle one, I felt it for different reasons because I scored the goal that sent them down.
“But all these moments, these hard moments in your life, I still wouldn’t change them because they make you who you are today.
“So like I’ve referenced many times this year, pressure, nerves whatever, I know which end of the table I’d rather be, so yeah…”
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