STEPHEN Bradley has welcomed Heimir Hallgrimsson’s apology and offer of a pint together – but Damien Duff sounded less keen.
Hallgrimsson acknowledged he used clumsy language in December in a statement that many took as him suggesting Shamrock Rovers players needed to move abroad to be worthy of his consideration.
Bradley would’ve been in better form thanks to Ed McGinty’s stoppage time penalty save preserved their 2-1 lead against Drogs[/caption]
The Ireland boss issued an apology in an attempt to cool down simmering tensions since that really provoked the ire of Bradley.
Duff meanwhile has long been an outspoken critic of various aspects of the FAI ever since his January 2021 resignation from his post as one of Stephen Kenny’s assistants.
But while Hoops supremo accepted Hallgrimsson’s olive branch, the Shelbourne gaffer continued to strike a cool tone towards all at Abbotstown.
Speaking to Off the Ball after Rovers’ dramatic win in Drogheda Bradley was asked about what he made of the Iceland native’s comments at Thursday’s squad announcement.
He said: “You’ve got to take the man at face value. He’s apologised so he’s big enough to do that.
Everyone makes mistakes, he’s made one and recognised that. So I’ve no issues (with him) whatsoever, we move on.”
When quizzed specifically on that hypothetical pint, the 43-year-old added with a smile: “If he’s buying yeah (I’d go for one).”
Elsewhere on Friday night though, Duff maintained his frosty disposition towards anyone or anything FAI-related.
He told the Irish Mirror: “I’m too busy here. Listen, I consciously made my mind up two weeks ago, I’m not commenting on the FAI again.
“Why? Yeah, Stephen (Bradley) has jumped in and got involved but I feel as if I’m fighting a fight on my own for the last three or four years.
“I’m sick of seeing the headline ‘Damien says this and slaughters the FAI’.
“So I’ve said it to the staff, I’ve said to Neil (Doyle, owner), I’ve said to Darren (Cleary, media officer), I said I ain’t speaking, I ain’t going there again.
“So Joe (O’Brien, assistant manager), for a bit of banter, sent me (the article) this morning, saying that he (Hallgrimsson) would like to meet me and Bradz for a pint.
“I’ll tell you one thing for free. That would be a miserable night out.”
‘Would you go for a pint with him?’
Could we see a Stephen Bradley and Heimir Hallgrímsson meetup in the near future?
@dubsoulrebel #LOI pic.twitter.com/KWwzqObd6F
— Off The Ball (@offtheball) March 14, 2025
Rovers’ Josh Honohan and Johnny Kenny – who starred for Bradley’s side on loan from Celtic – were named in Hallgrímsson’s preliminary squad to face Bulgaria next week but did not make the final cut.
Hallgrímsson said of Kenny: “From what I have seen he has progressed, a lot from the first game I was watching until the Conference League games.
“I think he is on a good trajectory in his career so just continue to do what he is doing, that is the key.
“And for more players as well, there is a lot of young players that need to develop where they are.
“If you look back to Iceland, when I was coach there, we did a study on players who left Iceland and half of these players came back to restart their career, they didn’t make it where they were going.
“So it’s always individual, if it works for you to go abroad, and then you need to pick a good team to grow and it is no shame in coming back to restart your career.
“It’s individual if it’s better for you to go or stay, but I think it is a good opportunity for the League of Ireland to go and play young players especially when you do good in these European competitions.
“You will always draw attention to you and the coach and the club so what I was saying was complimenting.
“What is probably going to happen is that there will be attention, big attention on the players, big attention on the coach and big attention on the club.
“And for the League of Ireland it is a positive spiral.
“Other clubs will be looking at what the club and coach are doing and ‘I want to do the same’. I think it’s only going to grow the League of Ireland.”
