Damien Duff was at Newcastle United for three years but failed to reach the heights he had previously achieved at Blackburn Rovers and then Chelsea - and his untimely exit ensured he became a hated figure in the North East. Having under-performed during the Magpies' relegation season in 2008-09, Duff inadvertently deflected Gareth Barry's edge-of-the-area shot into his own net to confirm Newcastle's demotion - and this already unfairly ruined his reputation with many Toon fans. Yet it was his actions during the turbulent summer that followed - when many players jumped ship following relegation - that ultimately sealed his role as arch-villain. Duff originally claimed he would stay and help Newcastle win promotion at the first attempt and he actually scored in the Magpies' Championship-opening 1-1 draw at West Bromwich Albion - only to move to Fulham for £4million days later. This left a sour taste in many Newcastle fans' mouths and, add to that the winner he scored for Fulham against the Magpies in a 1-0 Premier League victory for the London club in February 2011, and Duff is not welcome at any Toon-supporting household.
NUFC editor for WhatCulture.com/NUFC. History graduate (University of Edinburgh) and NCTJ-trained journalist. I love sports, hopelessly following Newcastle United and Newcastle Falcons. My pastimes include watching and attending sports matches religiously, reading spy books and sampling ales.
