Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Damien Duff (centre) with his Shelbourne players after the win over Bohemians.Ryan Byrne/INPHO League of Ireland Damien Duff hits back at "awful" Roddy Collins comment about striker Mipo Odubeko Former League of Ireland boss described Shelbourne forward as “probably one of the worst finishers I’ve seen in Irish football.” 10.01am, 12 Apr 2025 Share options DAMIEN DUFF HAS defended Mipo Odubeko after Roddy Collins claimed that the Shelbourne striker is “probably one of the worst finishers I’ve seen in Irish football.” The former League of Ireland boss was speaking as a pundit on Virgin Media prior to Odubeko coming off the bench to score the winner against Bohemians at Tolka Park last night. Collins did qualify the incendiary remark by stating he would still “pick him every week” because of the all-round work the former Republic of Ireland Under-21 international does for the team. “That’s a bit contradictory and, here, I love Roddy but I think it’s a really poor comment, really poor. Especially about a young boy who has maybe been a bit lost at times, bouncing from club to club,” Duff said. “We’ve given him that foundation to kick on his career. Hopefully that’s here or really do well and go back to England. Here, it’s an awful comment. You need to do your homework better to come out with a big comment like that. Advertisement "Eoin would've been on the end of that. I would've been on the end of that!" "Mipo. He's probably one of the worst finishers I've seen in Irish football. However, I'd pick him every week!" Roddy Collins on Shels' strike options.#LOI pic.twitter.com/RPMiyQUcr1— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) April 11, 2025 “He’s a young player and I will never, ever criticise a player for missing a chance and if anyone ever says anything about my players I’ll go for them as well. Mipo, the lot of them, they are my boys and I look after them.” Odubeko has had to make do with a place on the bench in recent weeks as he continues to adapt to life in the Premier Division. Duff highlighted the quality of his three goals so far this term but admitted he felt it best to keep a distance from Odubeko in the build up to the Bohs game. “His finish in the President’s Cup was a backheel… Against Waterford, it was a double moment in the box and side foot finish into the bottom corner. [Last night], I need to watch it back, but it was a chop and toe poke. “The only player I ever saw to score with toe pokes was Romario. He was one of the best strikers ever. A poor comment. I love Roddy but I think he’s let himself down there. “Mipo is all about goals. His business is assists and goals. He’s so young and wants it so bad but when you want it so bad it mightn’t actually happen. Just having that bit of calmness and we’ll help him all we can. “He didn’t celebrate [the goal] because he’s probably angry. He wanted to start this, the biggest game of the season you could say, and the biggest game in Ireland tonight, so there was everything in there. “Emotion, relief, ‘F Off Duffer’, but I’ve no doubt he’ll go to sleep, if he sleeps, he’ll be like a young boy from the excitement of doing what he did. “I left him alone this week, there’s probably nothing I can tell him. I could jazz it up all I want but sometimes you just leave them, so I left him, I didn’t say a word to him because you know you’re going to get a reaction. “sHe knew he was going to be first sub on the pitch and, here, he’ll know because he backs himself, heart of hearts, to get the winner. It’s all about feeling alive and he’ll feel alive after scoring the winner in a Shels-Bohs derby. Wow. “All of the guys get airtime and as a manager, as a coach, it’s up to me when to speak to them and how to speak to them. It’s not about always constant love, it might be the other way. “I’ve never sat down and had a chat about life, I’m just talking from football. Mipo is from Dublin, I think he was born and bred in Tallaght and has a lot of friends and family, a lot of people care about him and not just outside but inside the club as well. 🗣️ ‘We didn’t speak before I came on.’ 🗣️ ‘We’ve been fighting all week.’ Mipo Odubeko hadn’t spoken to Damien Duff all week in lead up to their game against #Bohemians. | ⚽️ 🎙️ @jhiggins3#LOI pic.twitter.com/Fqpz0HBmYB— Off The Ball (@offtheball) April 11, 2025 Related Reads Drogheda United stay top after dramatic comeback win over 10-man Derry City Shamrock Rovers resurgence continues with win over Waterford Mipo Odubeko sprung from bench to snatch late win for Shels against Bohs “Here, I know Mipo and I know how he thinks – ‘I’m going to play every minute of every game’. Here, the last couple of weeks he’s probably disappointed. He didn’t start two out of three, the last two Dublin derbies. But at the same time, for how good a player he is, I always put myself in the player’s shoes. “He might be slightly disappointed with the first round of games. Yes, he’s adjusting, but he’s played a big bloody part. President’s Cup win, silverware in Tolka Park, and Waterford three points. [Last night] three points. So, he’s put six points on the board for us. “I don’t underestimate what he’s going to bring, all I’ll say is he kind of mirrors what I always say about the team every year – the team will only grow and become better and better every year. We always have done, there’s no debate, and it will be the same with Mipo.” David Sneyd Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Damien Duff hits back at "awful" Roddy Collins comment about striker Mipo Odubeko”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Damien Duff hits back at "awful" Roddy Collins comment about striker Mipo Odubeko”. 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