Potter: Duffy has shown he can still perform at the very highest level

Brighton boss Graham Potter has admitted his admiration for Shane Duffy as he plans to hold talks with the experienced defender at the end of the season.

Duffy is out of contract in the summer of 2023 and following a promising start to the campaign during which he rebuilt after a disappointing loan move to Celtic, he has seen his game time restricted by injuries and coronavirus.

Potter insists the 30-year-old Republic of Ireland centre-back, who has been on the south coast since 2016, can still cut it in the Premier League but insists several factors will shape his future.

“Since Christmas it’s not been as simple for him. It’s not been as strong a second half of the season as the first for lots of different reasons. But he’s still a really important player for us and person in the group.

“As for his future, it’s one of those things that we sit down and speak about at the end of the season.

“He was really low when he came back from Celtic and was probably thinking about where his career was going. But he’s proven to everybody that he can compete and play at this level.”