DAMIEN DUFF was praised as a “top bloke and legend” for bringing a newly made friend to his son’s training session.
The Republic of Ireland legend guided Shelbourne to their first Airtricity League Premier Division title in 18 years this season.
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Harry Wood’s dramatic late winner gave the Dublin outfit the 1-0 win at Derry City they needed to beat defending champions Shamrock Rovers to the crown.
Duff has been doing the rounds with the trophy since then, including a visit to Glencormac United in Co Wicklow.
The 45-year-old lives nearby while both his son and daughter play for the football club.
And so, when the Chelsea winger went to his son’s U13 training session, he brought the Premier Division trophy with him.
Glens stalwart Colm Mulligan shared a photo of Duff with the team to Facebook, joking: “Who is your man at the back ??”
He added: “Big thanks to The Duffer for bringing the League of Ireland Premier Championship to our U13s training today.
“The man is so passionate about Irish Football but also, one of the nicest guys you could ever meet behind it all.
“Absolute top bloke and a legend !!”
As well as Glencormac United, Duff brought the Premier Division trophy to Kilmacanogue National School.
Having started the campaign with six wins and a draw, they then won just one of their next nine, then six of their next seven, and then wobbled again with just one win in ten.
That meant the title race was going to the wire with six teams in the hunt with three games to go.
It meant Shels had to win their last three games – against Waterford, eventual FAI Cup winners Drogheda United, and finally Derry City – to win the league.
So confident was Duff that they would do just that, however, that he wrote it in his diary.
Duff said: “For some reason I felt for some time that we were going to do it, I’ve written it in my diary. I’ve had a picture of the trophy on my phone all season.
“I’m making myself out to be a really clever guy here, it was one page on a date, ie today, that we’d be champions.
“When you say things loud, when you write things down, you believe them more, yeah.”
The 2-24 title run-in captured the imaginations of the Irish public – both those already interested in the League of Ireland and those less so.
One of the latter was Eamon Dunphy, who admitted that he had not been an avid listener of the ‘Greatest League In The World’.
However, he praised Duff for getting Shelbourne over the line, and suggested he could replace Heimir Hallgrimsson as Ireland manager.
He said: “I sent him a good luck message on Friday and I think a lot of Irish fans admire what he has done. He’s really quiet but he knows his football.
The 79-year-old said: “He’s a very popular guy, everyone who knows him will be delighted for him and this was a great night for Damien Duff.
“Next time we need an Ireland senior manager, we may not have to go to Iceland.
“I supported Stephen Kenny in his time with the Boys in Green and of course I would support Duffer.”