Damien Duff

Damien Anthony Duff (born 2 March 1979, in Ballyboden, County Dublin) is an Republic of Ireland Association football. He currently plays as a left Midfielder Winger for Premier League club Newcastle United F.C. and internationally for the Republic of Ireland national football team.






Duff joined Blackburn Rovers F.C. as a trainee in 1996 after playing for Leicester Celtic, St. Kevin's Boys and Lourdes Celtic as a schoolboy in Dublin. He made his Blackburn debut at the age of 18 against Leicester City on the final day of the 1996-97 in English football. In his first full season 1997-98 in English football he scored four goals and his exciting performances saw him billed as a big star of the future. Despite Blackburn's relegation the following season, Duff stayed loyal to the club and did not ask for a transfer, despite the obvious attention he was receiving from top flight clubs.

Duff helped Rovers achieve promotion back to the FA Premier League in 2000-01 in English football and then win the Football League Cup Final 2002 the following season. Following his excellent World Cup 2002, Duff was soon identified as a world-class player, and rumours were rife that Duff would move to another club. However, Duff signed a new four-year contract with Rovers in summer 2002, stating his happiness with being at the club. Despite injury problems, his superb form continued in the 2002-03 in English football and he finished top goalscorer for Rovers with 11 goals.

In the run-up to the 2003-04 season, buoyed by new owner Roman Abramovich money, Chelsea F.C. made a series of bids for Duff, with a GBP17m offer eventually triggering a release clause in the player's contract. Duff took many days deciding whether to leave behind his comfortable lifestyle in the Ribble Valley and move elsewhere. but he finally decided to end his seven year stint at Rovers, looking to challenge himself at a higher level.


Duff completed his move to London in July (the transfer fee of £17m was at the time a club record), and there were high hopes for the Irishman. His first season at Chelsea F.C. was somewhat plagued by injury, and crucially he missed the latter stages of the season, including the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. Duff scored six goals that season with his goal against Newcastle United F.C. in a 5-0 demolition particularly underlining his talent. Intercepting a throw from his international team-mate, Shay Given, he chipped the ball over the last man (football)'s leg and took a few touches before volleying the ball into the bottom corner of the net past his compatriot. Another individual effort came against S.S. Lazio in a 4-0 win at the Stadio Olimpico. Receiving the ball on the left wing, he dribbled past four defenders before slotting the ball in at the far post with his right foot. He was instrumental in securing for Chelsea the club's highest league finish for 49 years as well as the Champions League run, but the season ultimately ended trophyless and with the sacking of manager Claudio Ranieri.

The arrival of Netherlands winger Arjen Robben and new manager José Mourinho posed a threat to Duff's place in the starting line-up for the FA Premier League 2004-05 season, but an injury to Robben at the start of the season saw Duff as the only available winger. Mourinho, however, did not play Duff in the early part of the 2004-05 season, preferring a more narrow approach. Duff eventually got into the side after four games and, when Robben returned to the side, Duff's versatility saw him move to the right wing and form a ferocious wing partnership with Robben. The season proved to be successful for both Duff and Chelsea. He scored ten goals, including a crucial strike in a 4-2 win against Barcelona F.C. in the Champions League, while the team won the Premiership title and the Football League Cup (in which Duff scored what proved to be the winning goal in the semi-final against Manchester United F.C.).

Duff proved to be a pivotal player for Chelsea in 2004–05 but the 2005-06 in English football season was largely disappointing for him as he failed to recapture his form from the previous season.


On 22 July, 2006, Duff agreed terms over a £5m move to Newcastle United F.C. and officially completed his transfer on 23 July, signing a 5 year contract.

His first game was a start in a friendly home game against PSV Eindhoven on 29 July. Duff made his competitive debut in a UEFA Cup Second Round Qualifying first leg against Latvian side FK Ventspils.

On 17 September, he scored his first goal for Newcastle. It was the first goal in a 2–0 victory over West Ham United F.C. away at Upton Park. Duff suffered a knee injury in November that kept him out for four months, during which Newcastle had a bad run of defeats. He returned but was then ruled out for the rest of the season due to an ankle injury in a 2–1 loss to Portsmouth F.C. on 14 April, 2007. Sam Allardyce later described Duff's injury as 'career threatening'. Duff made a full return to fitness in December, and on January 16, 2008, in the first game after Kevin Keegan's reappointment, Duff scored Newcastle's fourth goal against FA Cup opposition Stoke City F.C.. Newcastle won the match 4–1.

On July 19, in the first preseason match of the 2008–09 season, Duff scored a hat-trick against League One outfit Hartlepool United F.C., his first for the club, which Newcastle also won 4–1. Duff also scored against PSV in another pre-season match. Despite impressive pre-season form though, Duff was linked with an exit from the club, with Sunderland A.F.C. and former club Blackburn, rumoured as potential suitors. He stayed though and after an impressive start to the season, including a goal against Everton F.C. as part of a 2–2 draw at Goodison Park, Duff was identified by Joe Kinnear as Newcastle's main threat.


At junior level, Duff played for Ireland in the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship and 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Duff made his senior début for the Republic of Ireland in 1998 against the Czech Republic. He has since gone on to win 68 cap (sport) for the Ireland Squad, scoring eight goals. He played every game for them at the FIFA World Cup 2002 and was voted their player of the tournament scoring a goal against Saudi Arabia national football team en route to the second round. During then-manager Steve Staunton's first game in charge he played a key role with Ian Harte to help Ireland to a 3–0 victory over Sweden national football team, and also scored in the game.




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