Shelbourne manager Damien Duff with the SSE Airtricity/Soccer Writers Ireland 2024 Men’s Personality of the Year Award and his parents Mary and Gerry.
Damien Duff expanded on the family sacrifices that have been necessary to succeed at Shelbourne as he collected another award.
The league winning manager was today crowned the SSE Airtricity/Soccer Writers Ireland Men’s Personality of the Year for 2024 on account of his title winning exploits.
Duff’s parents Gerry and Mary were present, although they didn’t have a straightforward preparation.
“When I picked up my mum and dad, I was getting out of the car and the trousers burst,” said Duff, “I said (to Mary) that you’re going to have to get a thread and needle here.
“I drove over here and my Dad was sitting in the car beside me, looking down at me sitting there with no trousers on. My Mam was in the back with the thread and needle.
“I drive by my Mam and Dad’s every day and I don’t call in. I said it two weeks ago (as he collected the PFA Ireland manager of the year award) I don’t pay attention to my wife and kids and don’t spend enough [time] ringing my Mam and Dad. Do I regret it? Yeah. Did we win the league? Yeah.”
Shelbourne begin pre-season preparations on December 16, with Duff quipping that he is still recovering from celebrations that might get one more lash (from his perspective) before getting back to work.
“I probably finished celebrating last Sunday night, after four weeks, but I got sick. I’ve had the flu all week. So I’m actually going to start again,” he said, before striking a more serious tone.
“I’ve fought and upset a lot of people in the room but that’s what you have to do to get back to the top. I annoy people but I’m not trying to be anyone but myself.
“It’s going to be an awful lot harder staying there but that comes with sacrifices. I’ve always said that I’ve got the hardest working side in the league.”
It was a double win for Shels with Conor Kearns collecting the goalkeeper of the year award.
Julie-Ann Russell was named Women’s Personality of the Year for her exploits with both club and country.
Russell helped Galway United win the All-Island Cup in a year where she made headlines by breaking back into Eileen Gleeson’s senior squad after taking time out after the birth of her child. She became an important player in the final stages of the attempt to reach the Euro 2025, a campaign that ended in bitter disappointment earlier this week with a playoff defeat to Wales.
