In 2002, the Republic of Ireland was ravaged by its second civil war.
Families were divided, relationships were destroyed, bridges were burned (figuratively), all because of what happened to the national football team at their base camp for the world cup.
Damien Duff was away from the war at home, but he was right in the middle of the warzone created by Mick McCarthy and Roy Keane in East Asia, trying his best not to get caught in the crossfire.
Duffer recently conducted a Q&A with FourFourTwo, and as so often happens with players from that squad, he was asked for his take on the whole Saipan incident. Although he was aware how distraught the fans were over losing the captain, it didn’t have much of an impact on his morale.
“I guess everyone knows now. It was a barney and Roy went his own way. You have to admire him for sticking to his beliefs. I know it bothered the country but it didn’t really bother me very much – I just wanted to get on with it, although it was a bizarre few days.”
“I can look back on it all with a giggle now, although I’m sure Mick doesn’t! It was unfortunate missing Roy’s talent, and God knows how far we’d have gone with him in the team.”
One that got away, and then got away againhttps://t.co/DrUXsqoCsy
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) March 1, 2017
One of Duff’s greatest moments in an Ireland shirt came at that tournament. He joined an exclusive club of Irishmen to have scored at a world cup during the group stage win over Saudi Arabia. He marked the feat with an equally memorable celebration, a traditional bow to the home crowd.
He admitted that this was very much a planned move that developed out of observing the customs of the locals around the team hotel. That eureka moment he had while in the bathroom worked out for the best as it garnered him a whole new fanbase.
“It just came to me in the hotel room. I was brushing my teeth thinking it’d be nice to score at a World Cup – not many Irish people had done it. Around the hotel, people were always bowing and they were so polite, so it was a nod to the Japanese. It was an iconic photo and I had a lot of Asian fans after that. I had quite a few follow me at Chelsea and Fulham – they took a shine to me!”
Duff inadvertently gave a handy tip to any young parents out there. The next time your child tries to get out of brushing their teeth, just tell them that if they do it, it might lead to a goal in the world cup.
Trickery, the most effective form of child-raising.
