In a tight race where half of the league’s 10 teams remained in contention just two weeks before the end, Shamrock Rovers seemed poised to claim their fifth consecutive title on goal difference. As they led in their final game and Shelbourne was held scoreless by third-placed Derry City, the title looked set to slip away.

But in the 84th minute, former Manchester United academy player Harry Wood capitalized on a deflected free kick, scoring the decisive goal to secure a 1-0 win for Shelbourne. Duff described this achievement as more meaningful than his two English Premier League winner’s medals.



“I’ve said in recent weeks that this would be the pinnacle of my professional career, and it absolutely eclipses everything else,” said Duff, who earned 100 caps for Ireland and scored at the 2002 World Cup.

“Irish football is in my blood.”

This season’s fierce competition has been a major boost for the League of Ireland, which has often played second fiddle to the English Premier League, as well as rugby and Gaelic sports, which draw larger crowds in Ireland. Duff’s star status and engaging interviews have helped draw extra attention this year, and both of the decisive final matches were broadcast live on RTÉ.

The title win also marked a significant comeback for Shelbourne, one of the league’s storied clubs. After dominating Irish football in the early 2000s, they faced hard times and only returned to the top division just before Duff took the reins in 2021. Ranked as 25/1 outsiders at the start of the season, Shelbourne led the league for most of the year and held off a late challenge to capture their 14th league title.

“There have been some dark, dark times for Shelbourne, so I’m incredibly happy for everyone involved,” Duff told RTÉ. “If you dedicate yourself and work hard, you can achieve anything—and that’s exactly what my players have done.”

Author

Hello reader, I'm Ben. I love to write and talk about sports and I am, unfortunately, hopeless at golf. Thanks for reading! 

Ben Lynch