Blackburn Rovers' £17m agreement with Chelsea made Irish gamble all worth it | OneFootball

Damien Duff gave Blackburn fans countless memories and was sold for huge profit

The mid-1990s were an exciting time for everyone connected to Blackburn Rovers.

Promotion to the all-new Premier League in 1992, before claiming the prize three years later – the good times were in full swing at Ewood Park.

However, when talisman Alan Shearer exited the Lancashire club in 1996, there was a huge void to fill.

Rovers received a then-world-record £15 million and could’ve been tempted to splash the cash on a whole host of Europe’s top talent.

Instead, they promoted from within, handing an unknown quantity in the form of Damien Duff the opportunity to dazzle the Ewood Park faithful. An opportunity he wouldn’t pass up.

Blackburn Rovers’ Damien Duff gamble

Reared in a dressing room with veterans such as Tim Sherwood and Chris Sutton, Duff had perfect examples around him of what it takes to achieve Premier League success.

When things went wrong at Ewood Park at the close of the 20th century, and Blackburn suffered relegation to the second-tier, Duff stepped up and became one of the club’s key components.

Rovers bounced back to the top-flight before too long, with Duff appearing 32 times as the club achieved promotion after finishing second in the 200/01 Championship campaign (then first division).

The Irish international kept his place in the side after returning to the Premier League and went on to play his best football in a blue and white shirt.

He enjoyed his best goalscoring season to that point at Blackburn during the 2001/02 season, netting eight times in all competitions as Rovers clinched the League Cup at the Millennium Stadium.

Despite achieving such success, Duff continued to develop, bagging nine goals the following year, helping Blackburn finish sixth and qualify for the Europa League (then UEFA Cup).

These performances weren’t going unnoticed. Chelsea had just been taken over by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich and were looking to invest in some of the division’s leading talent.

Blackburn Rovers secured a £17 million fee for Damien Duff

In the end, Rovers were forced to sell Duff. They couldn’t compete with the new mega bucks’ ownership at Chelsea, that were gearing up to take English football by storm.

Whilst boarding a plane to take part in Blackburn’s 2003 pre-season camp, the then-24-year-old Duff was told that Rovers had accepted a £17 million bid for his services from Chelsea.

His first season in West London didn’t warrant any prizes, but the next year, as an ambitious new coach in the form of José Mourinho arrived at Stamford Bridge, Duff was about to embark on the most successful period of his career.

Two Premier League titles and the League Cup in 2005 made the Irish international’s move worth it, although he never quite reached the same personal heights he hit during his latter years at Ewood Park.

The winger didn’t score over six goals in a season again, eventually moving to Newcastle United in 2006.

For Blackburn, they maximised their rewards regarding Duff. Deciding to harbour a young talent, they enjoyed the forward’s best years before sealing a king’s ransom at the time for his sale.

The Ewood Park faithful will forever hold the name Damien Duff in high regard, quick to remember his thrilling performances during an exciting period in the club’s recent history.