SHANE DUFFY HAS been praised by Brighton & Hove Albion manager Graham Potter amid reports that the Republic of Ireland defender is set to spend a year on loan with Scottish Premiership champions Celtic.
Opportunities at Brighton look likely to be limited again this season for Duffy, who was restricted to just 13 Premier League starts during the 2019-20 campaign.
A central defensive pairing of Lewis Dunk and Adam Webster was favoured by Potter, whose options have increased following Ben White’s return from a loan spell at Leeds United. The Seagulls have also signed versatile Dutch international defender Joel Veltman.
Dunk, Webster and White formed a three-man defence for Saturday’s pre-season friendly against Chelsea, with Duffy forced to settle for a run-out from the bench.
As well as Celtic, the Derry native has been the subject of reported interest from West Bromwich Albion and West Ham United in recent weeks.
“You understand the speculation with Shane because he’s an important player and an important character and he wants to play football,” Potter told Sussex Live when addressing Duffy’s future.
“So of course, people are putting two and two together and it’s an obvious one. But he’s been fantastic for me.
“I understand he wants to play. We need to take those decisions at the right time for him and for the team. But for the moment, he’s with us and he does his best every day. He’s part of our group.”
After helping Brighton to achieve promotion to the Premier League in 2017, Duffy missed a total of just three games over the course of the club’s first two top-flight seasons.
Despite being rewarded with a new long-term contract in 2018, the 28-year-old has slipped down the pecking order since Potter replaced Chris Hughton as manager last summer.
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
A big advantage leinster have is that they have had competive games against very good opposition and still come into the game fresh.
Hopefully will conners chop tackles their ball carriers out of the game and the ref keeps their defencive line on side. Presure is firmly on the English too. Lose this and their year is over as a club where as leinster have the league title in the cabinet. So the season won’t end up a zero even if they are beat.
@Chris Mc: ah come on, having the pro 14 in the bag means zero to Leinster it’s a rubbish competition consisting of second and third string teams. It’s win or nothing for Leinster today !
@Darren Mullins: a 5 nation tournament means zero? Winning a single interpro match is a massive win. I’m sorry you have been spoilt but if you think the league is nothing ask any fan of the western province was winning the league meaningless.
@Darren Mullins: if it was meaningless why did they try so hard to win it?
@Rudiger McMonihan: Well Leinster’s best player and captain was on the bench rested for the final. So that tells a lot about how the competition is viewed.
@Gareth Ward: exactly it’s a joke of a competition!
@Chris Mc: if they could get the south African franchises to sign, then it would be a credible competition!!
Sarries by 3
@Cortiss: …thats an early morning ball hop anyway!! Match on now, Canterbury vs Taranaki and it is as good a rugby contest as I’ve seen in near 60 yrs. Try to catch a re-run if you want to be entertained. Its genuinely a classic.
Leinster by 12, they are just unstoppable
@Patrick O Connell: haha