When a player decides to enter the Love Island villa, it creates a unique situation for their coach.
Former Premier League winger Damien Duff found himself in this humorous predicament as he joked about being “saddened” that one of his players chose the “villa full of beautiful women” over him.
Duff, who had a successful career playing for Blackburn, Chelsea, Newcastle, and Fulham in the English top flight, now manages Shelbourne FC in his native Ireland.
He has achieved a remarkable century of caps for the team. Currently in the middle of the League of Ireland season, which spans the calendar year, Duff had to deal with the departure of reserve goalkeeper Scott van der Sluis.
Van der Sluis, who had previous experience in the academies of Manchester United and Liverpool, requested to be released from Shelbourne in order to join the new series of the popular ITV2 show, Love Island. Duff took the news in good spirits, reacting with humor on the club’s website. He said, “I was shocked and saddened that Scott chose a villa in Mallorca full of beautiful single women over myself, the staff, and the players. All jokes aside, I thank Scott for his services to Shelbourne FC, and we all wish him the very best for the future, whatever that holds.”
Van der Sluis joined Shelbourne last summer but mainly featured in cup competitions. Before heading off to the villa, he expressed his gratitude to the club. He stated, “I’d like to thank Shelbourne FC for everything they’ve done for me. The gaffer, the lads, the staff, the fans, and the people around the club have been brilliant with me since I arrived. I’ve loved my time at Shels. Football is all I’ve ever done, all I’ve ever known. So this is a new and exciting opportunity for a change-up in life.”
Acknowledging Shelbourne as his club, Van der Sluis reassured that he would continue to support his teammates as a fan even after leaving the villa. He concluded, “Shels is a great club going in the right direction, and I look forward to seeing what the lads can achieve. Shels is my club, and I’ll be cheering on the lads as a fan when I leave the villa.”
Although the departure of Van der Sluis may have been unexpected, Damien Duff handled the situation with lightheartedness and wished the player well in his Love Island journey.
