Ireland will suffer loss of creative hub Duff

DAMIEN DUFF'S INTERNATIONAL RETIREMENT:DAMIEN DUFF has, Giovanni Trapattoni suggested yesterday, "suffered" during "the days and nights" that preceded the conversation in which he confirmed to the Ireland manager that his 100th international cap would be his last.

Now, one suspects, it is the team that will suffer without the man who has been its most canny and creative attacking influence for the best part of a decade and a half.

There was, inevitably, some slight confusion regarding the chronology of events and Trapattoni himself seemed a little perplexed about how a player he thought would be on board for what promises to be a rather more difficult qualifying campaign than the last one, had slipped through his fingers.

The manager said he received a text from the player on the day after Ireland’s game against Serbia in Belgrade indicating he was inclined to go, and that the two talked more than once after that before the decision was confirmed on Thursday.

Trapattoni dismissed the suggestion that he should have travelled to London in order to appeal in person to the player, insisting that both the conversations and Duff’s mind were entirely clear.

To veterans of the Italian’s press conferences, the first claim seems rather unlikely. And the latter would appear to be undermined by the accounts of some people close to Duff who said he was still undecided earlier this week – and by the manager himself when he suggests the former Blackburn, Chelsea and Newcastle winger was having such a hard time in the lead-up to the announcement.

At this stage, however, it seems an international career that started way back in 1998, when he and Robbie Keane were the best of a bunch of debutants capped by Mick McCarthy against the Czech Republic in Olomouc, is really over, and one of the most popular players even to wear an Ireland jersey has done so for the last time.

Even now, at 33, and with a good deal of the pace that used to allow him to leave defenders trailing behind him, has gone, he remained a hugely important member of the team. He worked tirelessly for the cause, had enough trickery and ball control to tie a defender or two up in knots, even if he didn’t have the speed to go past them any more and he had the sort of attitude that managers cherish.

With the emergence of Aiden McGeady, and more recently of James McClean, there had for the first time been a sense of growing competition for his place in the lead-up to the European Championships.

On the eve of that event, though, Trapattoni seemed perplexed that there could be any sort of clamour for the Sunderland winger to be included in the side when such a move would cost either Duff or McGeady their places.

Duff, in any case, started every game in Poland and captained his country on what now appears to have been his last appearance, in the game against Italy.

He might still have been just a little hurt by the reception McClean received from Irish supporters in the stadium when he replaced the Dubliner with 14 minutes remaining of the match against Spain.

He walks away with his fair share of happier memories, though, and provided one of the enduring images of Ireland’s participation at the 2002 World Cup finals, a goal celebration in the game against Saudi Arabia that apparently still prompts Japanese fans to show up at Fulham’s training ground.

Stephen Kelly could barely contain his mirth a while back as he described Duff’s reaction to such appearances – the player’s preference for avoiding the limelight is well known, not least to reporters who cover the Irish team.

A few years ago, one of the FAI’s then press officers tried to persuade him to give an interview to RTÉ’s main evening television news in the lead-up to a particularly big game.

Duff politely declined and the FAI official tried to argue that he was making a mistake, that this was the closest thing he was ever going to get to addressing the nation.

“But would it make me a better footballer?” inquired the winger, at which point the press officer conceded defeat.

Duff, you suspect, is still working out ways of doing that even now. His goal for Fulham last week is a reminder that he has a lot to offer at Premier League level. Back in his prime, he was one of the league’s best, and his departure from Chelsea for Newcastle six years ago still seems like one of José Mourinho’s poorer decisions during his time at Stamford Bridge.

If Trapattoni could have done more to keep him in the Ireland set-up a little bit longer, then his loss will almost certainly be even greater. If Duff really has had enough, though, then all the Italian can do is, like the rest of us, offer him his gratitude.

DUFF'S SUCCESSORS: Three who may benefit

JAMES McCLEAN

Age: 23

Club: Sunderland

Caps: 4

The Derryman is the most obvious replacement for Duff given that he is an all-out winger who shows the potential to bring more goals to the team over the years ahead than Duff did.

At this early stage of his senior career at least, however, the defensive side of his game is viewed as a significant weakness and he doesn't yet provide anything like the tactical flexibility that the Fulham player did.

Likely enough to get his chance against weaker sides but Trapattoni might see him as too great a gamble against Germany.

JAMES McCARTHY

Age: 21

Club: Wigan

Caps: 4

Looks to be in contention to start in Kazakhstan anyway due to the absence through suspension of Keith Andrews but McCarthy might reap long-term benefits if Trapattoni, as he suggested yesterday he might, opts to change his formation in the wake of Duff leaving.

The midfielder looks increasingly comfortable at Premier League level and showed plenty of composure when handed a central role for Ireland last week in Belgrade. His ability to step past opponents and pass the ball effectively could go a good way towards making up for the creativity Ireland will be losing.

SEAMUS COLEMAN

Age: 23

Club: Everton

Caps: 5

The Donegal man has, it has seemed, suffered a little to date for being neither one thing or the other in the eyes of Trapattoni with the 23-year-old rarely getting the chance to play in his preferred position, right back, for his club.

In midfield, though, he looks to be a player with a good sense of the necessary balance between attack and defence and is fairly quick, can cross the ball, passes the ball well and is adept at winning free kicks.

EMMET MALONE