Damien Duff says he is excited about the prospect of getting back playing ahead of Cork City’s visit to Shamrock Rovers on Monday night when the 36 year-old will be in contention to make his debut for the Dublin club.

Duff made the bench for the game in Longford on Friday night but admits that he never expected to play, having only really returned to full training this week. He may have to settle for another night on the sidelines against City but clearly he is happy to be edging towards competitive action again.

“The plan (in Longford) wasn’t to go on,” he said in Tallaght today, “just for the gaffer (Pat Fenlon) to get me down there and to be involved. I feel good out there training after being out for so long but I’ve really only trained three times in the last seven months, so I’ve no right to be expecting to last 90 minutes or even 10. But I’m back training and that’s good.”

Duff described his decision to join Rovers as a “no brainer” and said he has been happy with the standard of the set-up at the club. “It’s the biggest club in Ireland and the best manager in Ireland; it’s brilliant, very professional. I felt like a bit of a spare for a bit there but that changes once you get out training and get involved in everything.

“I don’t know what effect I’ll have on the league,” he continued. "I just want to come back home and play at the highest level there is and that’s the Airtricity League. I always thought that it would be nice to finish my career here and that’s what I’m doing; I’m looking forward to it.”

The former Chelsea, Newcastle and Blackburn star, who acknowledged that he had met with St Patrick’s boss Liam Buckley and whose side he complimented as a “lovely footballing side,” said the priority now is to get back playing.

“It’s not going to be easy, I know I’m going to have to be at the top of my game to impress here but every footballer wants to play and if you know anything about me, I’m not a good watcher, I want to be out there on the pitch.”

Fenlon didn’t comment on Duff’s prospects of getting a run out in Monday’s game but he says that the player has already exerted a positive influence around the club off the pitch and it seems his first opportunity to show what he can still do on it, is now just around the corner.