Manchester City’s partner club Down Under Melbourne City are continuing to add star quality to their squad with the signing of Damien Duff.
The club, recently acquired by Blues owner Sheikh Mansour for £6million, have followed up their Daivd Villa deal with former Republic of Ireland international to the A-League on a one-year deal.
Head coach John van’t Schip, believes Duff’s vast experience in England will be integral to the team and can assist in the development of the squad’s younger players.
“We’re excited to have a player of Damien’s quality and experience for this season,” he said.
“We believe he can offer international standard quality on the pitch and will also be a great professional example for our younger players.”
The 35-year-old spent 16 years in the Premier League playing for clubs such as Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Fulham.
During that time, he won two Premier League titles at Stamford Bridge and a League Cup winner’s medal for Blackburn while also earning 100 caps for Ireland.
He left relegated Fulham at the end of last season after spending five years with at Craven Cottage and Van’t Schip believes his accomplishments speak volumes.
“His career speaks for itself,” he said.
“He has achieved almost everything at club level and has been a great player at international level too.
“He comes to us straight from the English Premier League with Fulham, so he has been playing at the highest level against top teams and top players.
“When we met with Damien, he was excited about the opportunity here and keen to work with us to help make this project a success.”
This is the club’s second high-profile signing in the space of a week – after securing the signature of Spanish international and former Barcelona player Villa.
The Spaniard, 32, has joined on loan for two months in between his MLS commitments with New York City.
Image courtesy of Fulham FC via YouTube with thanks
