Interview: Salgaocar FC’s Scottish striker Darryl Duffy speaks his heart out

by FC Admin April 9, 2016

NEW DELHI: Middlesbrough academy graduates to ex-French national player, all are plying their trade in Hero I-League. A Real Madrid Academy product is calmed down by a lanky Indian defender, on the other hand, an Aussie striker is going under the skin of a Brazilian defender, everything is happening here, such is the nomenclature of Hero I-League, so is the blending of Hero I-League.

Back in 2013, a jovial Scottish striker, who has already donned the coveted colours of Rangers, Hull City, Swansea City, touched down in Goa. Darryl Duffy, the proficient striker started with a bang on his first season itself and sent out a strong statement, having netted maximum goals in the I-League. Time and again, he proved himself and he’s vying for the Golden Boot this season itself, having rammed 10 goals for Salgaocar FC till now.

The eloquent ballplayer, who’s also a tech-savvy bloke by nature, speaks his heart out with www.i-league.org on his first days in India, where he wants to see himself in five years and much more.

EXCERPTS:

You were the first Scottish to come to India. How did you get accustomed to the Indian daily routine in your wee days?
Getting used to the Indian daily routine wasn’t so hard, it was more the weather that was the biggest challenge, it’s so hot here in comparison to Scotland! I don’t like all the shops (1pm and 5pm) and restaurants (4pm to 7pm) shutting down for siesta because that’s the times I like to go out!!
You have come across a long road since making your league debut for Rangers. Which particular match would you pick as the most memorable one?
My favourite match has to be making my UEFA Champions League debut for my boyhood hero’s Rangers, I kept my jersey and I’ll cherish it forever.
What’s your pinnacle point in your football career so far?
Pinnacle point of my career has to be something related to winning titles, so I’ll choose the double winning season I had with Falkirk in 2004-05, we were Championship Champions and Cup winners, I was also top scorer with 27 goals that season.
How do you manage your time for social media amidst such a hectic schedule?
Social media doesn’t take up a lot of your time these days, twitter & Instagram are apps on my mobile phone. I can take a picture and 30 seconds later, it’s online with a brief description. It’s not so difficult, you know and mostly it helps you to connect with fans.
Down the line after 5 years, where do you want to see yourself?
In 5 years, I’ll be 36 going on 37 and I’d love to still be playing at that age but that’s asking a lot. I want to get my coaching badges over that period of time and hopefully, make the transition to coaching as soon as possible after I hang my boots.
Are you a movie buff or series addict? Which five will you pick as your favourite ones?
Huh, it’s a tricky one as I love to watch both. Still, if you ask me to pick only, I’ll take The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy and Family Guy from TV series.

From the movies, I’ll choose Deadpool, Avengers 1&2, Gladiator, The Shawshank Redemption and The Hangover.

Who are your all-time favourite five players?
Everyone loves to watch great footballers and mesmerising football skills. It’s really tough to choose only five players as we have grown up watching some great players till now. Still, I would prefer to choose Zinedine Zidane, Luis Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez as my favourites.
Who is your dark horse in Euro 2016?
I would put my money on Austria, they had an incredible qualifying campaign blitzing their way through their group.
Are you guys taking a leaf out of Leicester City’s book recently?
Actually no, we are not trying to copy any team, we’re just working hard. Having Martin Scott and Eder Monteiro fit has made a big difference to us, we struggled without them at the beginning of the season. Now we’re getting into the groove and results are coming our way. Hopefully, that should be good enough to push us up the Hero I-League.

By Shoubhik Mukhopadhyay
I-League Media