Shamrock Rovers have confirmed the signing of former Republic of Ireland international Damien Duff who joins the Dublin club on an 18-month contract.
The 36-year-old former Chelsea, Newcastle and Blackburn star who last played with A-League side Melbourne City has started training with the Rovers squad as he works his way back to fitness after the ankle injury that cut short his season in Australia.
The midfielder, who retired from international football after winning his 100th cap at Euro 2012 in Poland, is reckoned to be about four weeks away from being available.
In the event Shamrock Rovers progress he would be available to manager Pat Fenlon for the club's later European games.
Permanent
In addition to playing, Duff will be involved in coaching one of the youth teams at Rovers.
He had previously said that his intention was to get into working with sides on a permanent basis when he finished up playing.
For the moment, though, he is delivering on a commitment, made several times, to wrap up his career with the stint playing in the League of Ireland which was always tied into his desire to return home to Dublin with his wife and two children as the first of them hits school-going age.
“I have always said that I wanted to come back and play in Ireland and I am very grateful to Pat and the club for giving me the chance to do that,” Duff said in a statement released by the club as they confirmed the deal.
“Not only do I get the chance to come back and play, but I get to do it at the biggest club in the country.
“I am as excited about this move as I have been about any in my career, be that Newcastle, Chelsea or any other.
“I left Ireland 20 years ago to go and make a career as a footballer and so now it’s great to be back. And I am definitely not just here to see out my time as a player; I intend to make a positive contribution to Shamrock Rovers and to the league.”
Options
Duff had had a number of options before deciding on Rovers with St Patrick's Athletic, in particular, having made a bid to recruit him. At Tallaght, he joins fellow former internationals Keith Fahey and Stephen McPhail.
Because he is not fit enough to feature in the European games against Odds BK of Norway this week, Rovers have delayed any official unveiling for fear it would distract attention from the game but that is likely to happen in the lead up to his first game.
