FAMILY AFFAIR
Duffy admits memories of his Celtic-daft dad Brian will spur him on after joining push for tenth successive title
HAVING seen his mother scrimp and save to buy him countless replica Celtic shirts throughout his childhood, the simple act of finally pulling the fabled hoops over his head for real was always going to be a highly emotional affair for Shane Duffy yesterday.
The fact that the man who inspired his love of the club wasn’t there to see him proudly march through the tunnel at Celtic Park served to intensify the experience.
Just 53 when he passed away earlier this year, Brian Duffy had periodically made the pilgrimage with his son by road and boat from Derry to Glasgow’s East End down the years. The 28-year-old defender could scarcely now have a greater motivation to represent the colours with distinction.
‘Dad passed away three months ago,’ said the Ireland international. ‘He was a proud Irish man. He always dreamed about me playing for Celtic. He will be in the back of my mind when I go out onto the pitch.
‘I was emotional when the deal got done because he was everything to me with my football. It was me and him.
‘It was emotional last week. It was the first Ireland match he missed. And he won’t be at my first Celtic match. So I’ll be emotional when I finally get to play. I will just do it for him.’
The memories of those epic travelling days to Parkhead have sustained Duffy of late. For a lifelong Celtic fan, the fact he’s now made the trip to sign on the dotted line has an almost surreal quality.
‘It really has,’ said the on-loan Brighton man. ‘You doubt it could happen, so to actually get here and get the kit on is a special moment.
‘My ma went through a few quid on tops. I had them all up until I was about 12 or 13, then moved over to England when I was 14.
‘In Ireland, you get the boat over and we came to the match. I’ve got very fond memories.
‘I just remember it being so loud and I thought it was mental. I was probably more worried about the ice cream or something than the result. It was an adventure — it was like going to Butlin’s. We’d get the boat over for the weekend, then the boat back.
‘We’d do it maybe a couple of times a year as a family. It was good the very first time he took me to a match, it was class. My first game, I think, was Aberdeen, with my da and my uncle. I would have been eight or nine.’
Duffy was fortunate that his era was the all-conquering Martin O’Neill side. Kids of that time had no shortage of names to emblazon across the back of their shirts — Larsson, Sutton and Lennon chief among them. Duffy’s choice proved to be prophetic.
‘I loved big Bobo (Balde),’ he explained. ‘That’s probably my first fond memory of properly supporting the club. I had his name on the back of my top. Balde six, I think it was, the yellow top.
‘Everyone loved big Bobo, didn’t they?
‘I was always good at heading the football. I’d throw myself at anything. It was a bit stupid.’
If it’s borderline insulting to suggest that a player who has spent the past three years in the Premier League is good for little more than heading the ball, nor has Duffy been signed for his finesse.
Unrepentant about his strengths, he feels there is still a place in the game for no-nonsense defending.
‘I just think it depends on the type of manager you have,’ he said. ‘There are managers who forget about the defending side and it’s all about building up to create and score goals.
‘They probably don’t last that long because they keep conceding, except maybe Pep (Guardiola)!
‘I think you have to defend first and foremost. In the modern day, you have to be able to play out and you have to be able to carry the ball. So that’s the art of defending now.’
He believes his skill set only grew after leaving Everton on loan for the less glamorous surroundings of Burnley, Scunthorpe and Yeovil.
‘It was great for me. I always tell the younger ones who are coming through and nowhere near the first team to go out and just play. Get whacked on the back and experience what it means to get three points for that club and its fans on a Saturday.’
Connor Goldson, who played with Shrewsbury and Cheltenham before joining Duffy at Brighton, would doubtless agree.
Duffy has no doubts that their friendship will survive a season spent on opposite sides of the Glasgow divide — even given its seismic nature.
‘He is still my friend, so it’s hard to tell what will happen because the rivalry is so fierce,’ said Duffy.
‘He’s a mate but, listen, when I play against him he won’t be a mate. He will be the exact same!
‘He actually told me not to come. He said: “Stay away!” But we have a good relationship.’
The question of who Duffy will replace in Lennon’s back-line is intriguing. Could it be, though, that it will be neither Kristoffer Ajer nor Christopher Jullien?
At the turn of the year, the manager’s preference for 3-5-2 yielded spectacular results, culminating in the title. He now has the players at his disposal who could allow him to revert to it.
‘The first game of last season, Brighton won 3-0 away at Watford with a back three,’ said Duffy.
‘People have their opinions on me, which is allowed. But I’m more than comfortable playing in a back three. I actually quite enjoy it.’
How much enjoyment fans of either Celtic or Rangers glean from this cliffhanger of a season remains to be seen.
With a tenth successive title on the line, every twist and turn is a high-stakes affair. Duffy is just glad he has a seat at the high roller’s table.
‘It is huge for me to be here,’ he added. ‘I would have come any year but this year could be historic. To have a chance to be a part of it was huge. I spoke to a few players who played here. They were saying, if you go and do it, it will be the best decision you make. It was a no-brainer.’