Damien Duff admits that his time in the Premier League is up and that he’d like to play in America or Australia before finishing his career in the League of Ireland.
The 35-year-old comes to the end of his Fulham contract in the summer and says that he won’t be signing a new deal at Craven Cottage.
Instead, the former Ireland winger is planning on getting over his latest knee injury before moving abroad.
“I’m up at the end of the season,” he told The Irish Times, “the club haven’t spoken to me and I haven’t spoken to the club but we don’t need to speak: I’ll be leaving Fulham. I’ve had a great time here but that’s football.
“I’ve had a few whispers from here and there but I’m just trying to get this (his knee) right first.
“I’ve looked at the Australia or America thing for a bit, it would be a different way of life, a different league; I think life’s too short just to be stuck in the rat race, if that’s the right phrase, over here so I’d maybe like to taste something new before I go back home.”
Duff was asked whether Robbie Keane had recommended Major League Soccer to him.
“We’ve had a bit of banter alright. He obviously loves it and every six months I see he’s signed a new deal so he’ll be there for a good while yet.
“We’ll see what happens but I wouldn’t mind trying it to be fair but I have to get back fit first, I’ve got a screw in my knee now and a screw in the knee of a jinky winger doesn’t really go hand in hand . . . but we’ll see what happens. We’d be up for it and we’d like to see the world but it wouldn’t be for a jolly up. I’m still as hungry as ever.”
The former Blackburn, Chelsea and Newcastle star insists that finishing his career at home remains a priority.
“Everybody knows I want to go back and play in Ireland,” he says, “but whether that’s this summer I don’t know. My body feels good so I’d like to do a year or two elsewhere first.”
