Former Celtic loan defender Shane Duffy has spoken out about how hard things were at Celtic and his joy at starting for Brighton on the first day of the new Premier League season.
Duffy was woeful during his time at Celtic Park, the Irishman openly admits that.
Fans are aware of the circumstances surrounding Shane last season – losing his father not long before making the move to the club. Add in a worldwide pandemic where you’re starved of seeing your friends and family for months at a time – Shane and many others struggled.
By the end of last season, Shane was already well out the Celtic picture and was even allowed to rejoin Brighton before they broke for the summer. He used that time wisely and has made sure he was in the conversation over pre-season.
The defender found himself back in the mix and helping Brighton to a 2-1 win over Burnley.
Reflecting back at his Celtic hell, the defender revealed it was the long car journey from Glasgow that got his mind back in the game.
“In the summer, I would have thought that was a million miles away,” Duffy told SkySports.
“It was such a proud feeling. On Saturday night I got home, sat down and reflected on it – I’m really, really happy.”
He said: “I was going through a difficult time off the pitch. That affected training every day, and then affected a Saturday, and the fans didn’t deserve that – I put my hands up and apologise for that. There were a lot of things wrong, and the table spoke for itself at the end of the season.
“I had a drive from Glasgow to Brighton that took me seven hours, so I had a long think. I spoke to myself, spoke to people I trust, and went over the summer and surrounded myself with good people.
“I let some people go who weren’t the best thing for me at the moment. That’s what sort of happened, I surrounded myself with good people, made better decisions off the pitch, and I can feel myself improving on the pitch already.”
There has been a lot of change since last season already. There’s a new manager, new players and a new way of thinking at Celtic.
Shane wouldn’t have fit into what Ange is asking his players to do and it was certainly best he forged his career back in England. We wish him all the best.
