camondunphy

It was plainly clear he had the ability to become a leading coach. And so it has proved.

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Late on in his time working with us on RTÉ, word had got out he was training his underage Shamrock Rovers team at an ungodly hour in the morning.

“You are torturing those young lads,” I said, teasing him.

He took the comment in the spirit it was meant, knowing I was being playful rather than having a dig.

We knew he was a serious operator, so when he transferred his work allegiances entirely from punditry to coaching, I wasn't surprised.

What I really liked about Damien was his humility. He was a colleague, first and foremost, part of a team.

Lots go into punditry and showboat or fall into the trap of repeating a point someone else made.

Damien didn't. He had his own ideas and was his own man. This has also become clear in his coaching.

As a player, he peaked during his Chelsea years, when Jose Mourinho was his manager.