Former Republic of Ireland international Damien Duff says he'll leave Melbourne City FC and return to Ireland at the end of April.

The 36-year-old is still contracted to Melbourne City having joined the club last June on a one-year deal, but his season came to a premature end through injury and he has already set his sights on joining a new club in Ireland.

"The only flight I’ll be taking now is back to Dublin. I’ve enjoyed Australia but I think Ireland will be my next port of call," Duff told RTE.

"People are probably sick of me saying it [finishing his career in Ireland] but, yeah I’ll be home now in the summer, end of April early May, and I’ll be home for good then, so I’ll be looking for a job, so that’s the plan."

Duff made 15 league appearances for City before rupturing a calf tendon and sustaining ankle ligament damage in a game against Wellington Phoenix in February.

The two-time Premier League title winners described his experience in Australia as a positive one and said that he always wanted to try his luck further afield before bringing the curtain down on his career.

"It’s been great. I always wanted to do something like that, whether it be the States or Oz just to go travel for a year," Duff added.

"Obviously play football, but that’s out the window now so I will be travelling. But I always wanted to try a year abroad somewhere before I went home and I’m doing that now, ticked the box and, yeah, as I said, home is the next port of call."