The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Health shock
Dee legend backs former boss Duffy to recover from heart attack.
He fought on with a busted knee at Ibrox so battling back from a heart attack will be no different for Jim Duffy, according to old pal and fellow Dundee legend Bobby Glennie.
Ex-Dark Blues defender and boss Duffy is currently recovering in hospital after suffering the health scare last weekend.
The news came as a shock to former centre-half Glennie, who lined up beside ‘Duff’ in the heart of the Dee defence from 1985 to 1988.
His friend was the last person Glennie expected to hear this sort of news about given his clean, disciplined lifestyle.
Having since spoken to the 61-year-old, however, Glennie is relieved to hear he is on the mend.
“My young lad told me on Tuesday night, ‘Jim Duffy’s had a heart attack’, so I texted Tosh McKinlay straight away and he phoned me right back saying he didn’t know either,” he said.
“I texted Duff that night and he got back to me the next morning saying he’s feeling a lot better.
“I spoke to him yesterday and he seems in good spirits. We’re still good pals and we speak quite often so it was good to hear from him.
“It brings it all home to you. When you see somebody a similar age to you as fit as him being struck down like that, it shows you it can happen to anybody.
“Duff will pull through from this but he’s the last person I’d expect it to happen to. He’s teetotal, never smoked and that’s probably just as well because he’s a lunatic without that!”
Glennie, who made more than 300 appearances in dark blue from 1978 to 1988, is now backing Duffy to make a full recovery.
He shares a tale of incredible strength shown by his pal on the pitch as cause for optimism.
The 62-year-old continued: “I’ve every confidence in him fighting this, no bother. He didn’t like getting beat, put it that way.
“I remember him doing his knee in a game at Ibrox and he tried to play on with it. He did his cruciate and just carried on – that’s the type of bloke he is.
“He’ll have gotten over the initial shock. Now he’s on the mend I think he’ll just get himself fitter and fitter.
“He’s in the right hands now in hospital. I don’t think he wouldn’t listen to them – he’d be silly if he didn’t.
“He’ll take the advice on board because he’ll want to get back in the dugout.
“That’s what will be bothering him the most and he’ll be missing that. That might be what caused it for him!”
Duffy is currently manager at League One side Dumbarton and has previously been in charge at Falkirk, Hibs, Brechin, Clyde and Morton.
He will be itching to get back to full fitness so he can return to the dugout with the Sons.
Given what Glennie recalls about his old team-mate’s playing days, it’s clear Duffy will be doing everything in his power to do so as quickly as possible.
He added: “Duff was a great reader of the game and he could play as well. He was underrated on the ball.
“I used to put my face where people wouldn’t put their boots but Duff would clean up, a really tidy player and a good talker as well.
“We just got on well together and he was a real leader on the pitch for us.
“He just didn’t stop talking, organising, pointing at things and shouting at people which is very seldom seen in players nowadays.
“A lot of them don’t speak on the park. He’ll be keeping them right in the hospital and trying to pull pranks on them as well. That’s the type of guy he is.
“He’s just full of life. When him and Tosh were together it was absolute carnage.
“For somebody like him, who looks after themselves, you expect them to live until they’re about 100.
“He’ll be fine with this once he’s gotten over the initial scare. He’ll be hoping to get back out soon and back doing what he loves. Anybody who has a heart attack is typically in for a while and he’s talking about getting out after three or four days!”