Shane Duffy D Norwich b.1992

Shane is interviewed by Richie Sadlier as part of the Second Captains World Service, a podcast with a cost.

Richie delves into a bit of detail regarding the switch from NI. Shane says it's something he always wanted to do and even was involved in a camp for us at 15 and his father made it known that was where they say his future but it didn't materialize. So he kept going with NI as he was in the schools system. He said that he went to the senior friendly with Italy only for the experience and in the knowledge that it was a friendly and he wouldn't be tied. He also says that he would still have declared for us even if it meant he never got a cap for us.

Richie asks him about the abuse he gets for the switch but Shane and whether it went as far as death threats like James McClean to which Shane responds with a chuckle "Well James doesn't help himself!"

It's actually quite worrying to think that his father made it clear at 15 that Shane wanted to play with us and it wasn't followed through. I suppose it was eventually rectified by Shane's doing so we got a 100% committed player but I hope others haven't slipped through the cracks that way. It's also important to note in that context that Shane's father is a Donegal man which might make things easier for him.

It's a policy with which I don't agree, but the FAI's failure to follow through on the expressed wishes of Shane's father was, as far as I understand, rooted in a reluctance to approach or be proactive in selecting northern players (perhaps ones already in the IFA set-up?). In my opinion, if a player is eligible and good enough, there's no harm in making an enquiry or inviting him to declare rather than the FAI waiting for the player to make a formal move towards the association first.

This was something I'd posted back in 2011, but it relates to what Shane spoke about in the podcast:

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Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

I'm aware that in the case of Duffy, Sean Caffrey made a point of not contacting the player in spite of obvious interest from the player; Duffy attended an FAI training camp and there was plenty of talk on here, other forums via family members (ToffeeTalk, for example) and the local media that he'd rather be playing for Ireland. It wasn't mere rumour either. Furthermore, he even has a father from Letterkenny, yet the FAI were only willing to engage once Duffy initiated contact to declare his intentions officially, which, whilst frustrating to observe as NI continued calling the player into squads, demonstrated how sensitive the FAI were with the issue of selecting northern-born players. I don't think this policy difference, if you will, was ever made known to Duffy who, at the time, probably felt a little confused as to why the onus would be on him as distinct from other Irish players with whom the FAI would have no problem contacting first.

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Great memory. That post ties in very well with what he States in the interview.

I'm listening on to the rest now. It's very interesting. He's very honest, in fairness.

Every lad born on the island of Ireland should be routinely contacted to invite them into squads from 15s upwards. Let the players and their parents then decide. Easy. I'm Always really disappointed when I hear Brian Kerr talking about it not been morally right to encourage kids from the norths set up. Not sure when anything from the creation of the northern state has been morally right up there

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Originally Posted by liamoo11

Every lad born on the island of Ireland should be routinely contacted to invite them into squads from 15s upwards. Let the players and their parents then decide. Easy. I'm Always really disappointed when I hear Brian Kerr talking about it not been morally right to encourage kids from the norths set up. Not sure when anything from the creation of the northern state has been morally right up there

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Maybe Kerr is hoping that the Northern Irish FA might come calling....that might be somewhere between Bob Hope and No Hope and Bob left town for good a while back .

Anyone from the North that wants to play for us should be welcomed with open arms .

'Shane Duffy reveals he refused to delete Martin McGuinness tribute tweet after Brighton asked him to': https://www.independent.ie/sport/soc...-36529162.html

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Originally Posted by Irish Independent

Shane Duffy has revealed he refused his club Brighton's request to delete a tweet he sent paying tribute to Martin McGuinness following the Derryman's death last March. While Duffy admits he only met McGuinness "three or four times", the Irish centre half found him to be an affable man who did "so much work for Derry".

After McGuinness' death - just two days after the tragic passing of Derry City captain Ryan McBride - Duffy shared a tweet saying: "More tragic news this morning, RIP Martin Mc Guinness a true hero for many off us (Shamrock emoji) god bless your family and close ones #ireland."

The city of Brighton was targeted in one of the IRA's most calculated bombings in 1984. Five people were killed, including a sitting Conservative MP, when the IRA exploded a bomb in the Grand Brighton Hotel during a Conservative Party conference with then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in attendance.

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From the interview he did with second captains during the week

Nothing wrong with the tweet.

Shane has his say on Michael O'Neill's recent comments/statement: https://www.herald.ie/sport/soccer/i...-36701626.html

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Originally Posted by Aidan Fitzmaurice

The Derry native played for the North from U17 up to U21 levels and was once in their senior squad. But he never felt at home. Would the dropping of God Save The Queen have kept him in the bosom of the IFA?

"No, because I am not Northern Irish, I am Irish," Duffy told The Herald yesterday at his club's training complex in Lancing, a small village outside Brighton.

"It's just a different feeling. I am proud to play for Ireland, I played for Northern Ireland because I lived there but it's a different feeling putting on the Irish shirt to any other shirt. And I would never change it. It's not the same feeling. The North did a lot for me as a schoolboy and gave me the chance but it's just not the same feeling. You always knew it wasn't your country, especially being from Derry. You have got to know Derry to know what it means, and when you get the chance to go with Ireland, you take it."

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a)bored stirrers

b) daydreaming Shinners

c) simpletons who think merging 2 mediocre teams will provide a World beater almost by definition

As an Irishman what category does Duffy fall into?

d) Proud Irishman

Thanks for quoting me Gastric- although you seem to have missed or misunderstood the bit about wanting the NI sides to be abolished linked to those categories. Which I doubt Duffy falls into anyway, given that he played for them in numerous games

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Originally Posted by Gather round

Thanks for quoting me Gastric- although you seem to have missed or misunderstood the bit about wanting the NI sides to be abolished linked to those categories. Which I doubt Duffy falls into anyway, given that he played for them in numerous games

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Didn't misunderstand you, just ridiculing your use of categories.

interesting stat about Duffy

Which footballer was nicknamed Douglas Bader (the decorated RAF pilot who lost both legs in a crash) because he was good in the air but rubbish on the ground?

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Which footballer was nicknamed Douglas Bader (the decorated RAF pilot who lost both legs in a crash) because he was good in the air but rubbish on the ground?

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Cascarino, Clyde Best, Derek Dougan? Any clues of the era or nationality?

No idea, sorry

Looking at the EPL stats, Duffy comes top of the "most blocks".

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Originally Posted by OwlsFan

Looking at the EPL stats, Duffy comes top of the "most blocks".

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Strange as I read this earlier, Gareth Crook's team of the season. He seems to credit Lewis Dunk with most blocks. The stat about Duffy that Tets mentioned above is off the charts though!

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Lewis Dunk: I have watched this lad in the Championship and I have watched him again in the Premier League and I can't believe it's the same player. The growth in the space of a season has been quite extraordinary.

It would have been very easy for me to have selected Jan Vertonghen (who has had another good season for Spurs) but Dunk has had to be outstanding week in, week out. Without that level of performance, Brighton would have sunk without trace.

If any of the big six have any sense whatsoever they should get their chequebook out immediately. He's worth £30m of anyone's money in the current financial climate.

Did you know? Dunk made more blocks than any other Premier League defender this season (56).

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According to this - https://www.premierleague.com/stats/top/players - Duffy(59) is ahead of Dunk(58) in blocks, maybe Gareth Crooks wrote the article before the weekend's games?