Ain’t nobody like Shane Duffy

From the moment Brighton were first linked with Shane Duffy as the summer 2016 transfer window entered its final month, you just knew he was going to be a great signing.

How could he not be when reports read: “Brighton are set to offer a club-record £4 million to Blackburn for the services of Shane Duffy.”

“The Irish centre half has had an eventful start to the season for Rovers, scoring two own goals and being sent off in last week’s defeat at Cardiff.”

“He also put through his net in his previous game against Wigan, as well as scoring twice at the right end in victories over Mansfield and Crewe in the League Cup.”

Two goals. Three own goals. One red card. All in five games. Not even the great Colin Hawkins had managed that sort of return. Who cared whether Duffy was any good if he was bringing that level of entertainment to the Amex?

And it turned out that Duffy was very good. From the moment he made his debut away at Newcastle United until the arrival of Graham Potter three years later, he was one of the first names on the team sheet.

His unbreakable partnership with Lewis Dunk was as much a reason for Brighton securing promotion to the Premier League and staying there as the goals of Glenn Murray. And for that reason, he will never have to buy a beer in Brighton & Hove for the rest of his life.

Which should read like music to the ears of Duffy, whose liking for a good time was almost as impressive as his footballing ability and served to make him even more popular with Brighton fans.

Most modern day footballers are distant and unapproachable, living lives with millions of pounds in the bank which are far removed from that of those who are there on the terraces every week to support them.

Duffy though was different. He would always be happy to stop and have a chat, even if sometimes it was at 1am in the morning on West Street and came with the caveat “Please don’t post that selfie on Twitter.”

If his beloved Celtic were playing on television and it did not clash with any Albion commitments, he would be in a pub somewhere in Brighton watching the game.

A professional player Duffy may have been, but first and foremost he was a football fan. Footage of him back home in a packed Derry pub singing songs in celebration of a Celtic win attested to that, as could the regulars in Molly Malone’s.

All of this made him a bloke who Brighton supporters could relate to. That extended to online too, where Duffy’s presence was a breath of fresh air.

Whereas many footballer’s social media accounts are bland, boring and very clearly run by their representatives, Duffy’s was always honest and engaging.

There was the time an Instagram video appeared of Duffy in some sort of bar having a plate smashed over his head by a friend. Onto Twitter it got posted, leading Duffy to reply with “Head is used to it anyway!”

Head is used to it anyway 😂

— Shane Duffy (@shaneduffy) June 23, 2022

His head was very much used to it, but to pigeonhole Duffy is a defender who did nothing but head and block is to do him a disservice.

He was decent enough with the ball at his feet, just not quite good enough to play regularly in a Potter team where keeping the ball was more important than anything else.

With Dunk and Shane Duffy at the back, Brighton conceded the fewest goals of any side in the Championship in the 2016-17 campaign. As Sir Alex Ferguson once said: “Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles.” Or in the case of the Albion, promotion.

Duffy popped up with two very important goals in that 2016-17 season too. He received a hostile reception on his return to Ewood Park but soon silenced the Blackburn crowd, scoring with 16 minutes on the clock in a topsy-turvy game which Brighton eventually won 3-2.

His second goal of the campaign came in another high scoring thriller, a towering header in that crazy 3-3 draw at Brentford when Brighton simply refused to be beaten.

Shane Duffy became even more important once Brighton made it to the top flight. To become established amongst the elite, the Albion had to first lay foundations by doing whatever they could to survive.

The conservative style of football Chris Hughton employed to keep Brighton in the Premier League in those first two seasons relied upon Duffy, Dunk and to a certain extent Maty Ryan keeping clean sheets.

This proved to be Duffy’s bread and butter. He was superb in 2017-18 and even better in 2018-19. Both he and Dunk signed new contracts at exactly the same time, strengthening the image of them as equal partners in ability and importance.

Duffy went ended the 2018-19 campaign as a deserved winner of Player of the Season. Not only was he superb defensively that year, but his five goals also made him second top scorer after Murray.

Had Duffy not scored in the 3-2 win over Manchester United, the 2-2 draw at Southampton, the 2-1 win at Huddersfield and the 2-2 draw at West Ham, Brighton would have ended the campaign with six less points, dropping them below Cardiff and back into the Championship.

The change in style brought by Potter’s appointment looked like it would be the end of the Brighton career of Shane Duffy as he was gradually phased out over the 2019-20 season.

Then came that nightmare year at Celtic. Duffy lost his father suddenly and that badly impacted his form. What was meant to have been a dream move helping his boyhood club to win their 10th Scottish Premier League title in a row turned into a nightmare as Rangers ended up taking the crown.

For Duffy to come back from all that is testament to his character. The sale of Ben White and injuries to Joel Veltman and Dan Burn opened the door for Duffy to make a surprise return to Brighton at the beginning of the 2021-22 season.

Despite the doubts Potter had about his suitability playing out from the back, Duffy was so good that he became pretty much undroppable up until Christmas.

He scored in the 2-0 win over Watford which gave Brighton back-to-back victories to start a top flight season for the first time ever.

His goading of the Crystal Palace crowd when Neal Maupay struck that glorious last minute equaliser at Selhurst Park will live long in the memory.

Duffy’s passion whenever Brighton played their bitter rivals was further evidence of how he got what it was to be a Seagull and further endeared him to Albion fans.

That was even the case on the occasions when he went a little overboard, like getting sent off after 30 minutes for headbutting Patrick van Aanholt.

All is well that ends well though; Leon Balogun replaced Shane Duffy in a tactical reshuffle, scoring with his first touch as Brighton went onto beat Palace 3-1 with only 10 men on one of the most memorable nights the Amex has seen.

In a sign of the respect that Duffy had earned during his time at Brighton, Tony Bloom felt compelled enough to issue a public thanks to the defender when his permanent move to Fulham was confirmed after six-and-a-half years, 150 appearances and nine goals.

“Shane has played such an important role during his time at the club. He was a key character in our promotion to the Premier League in his first season here.”

“He was equally key in helping to establish the club in the Premier League and has always been extremely popular in the dressing room and with Albion fans.”

“I’d like to thank him for everything and to wish him and his family all the best for the future from everyone associated with the club.”

“His contribution to our recent history won’t be forgotten and Shane will always be assured a warm welcome at the Amex.”

Not just at the Amex, but in Molly Malone’s, the Grosvenor Casino, on West Street and anywhere else in Brighton & Hove. Because there really ain’t nobody, like Shane Duffy.