SHANE DUFFY’S Celtic stint has ended and it couldn’t have gone much worse for the big man. He has been error-prone and short on confidence in a Celtic side who waved the white flag three months into the season.

Shane has taken a lot of criticism this season from Celtic fans but sometimes the criticism turns into personal attacks – that’s 100% wrong.

Duffy’s Ireland teammate and friend Seamus Coleman spoke two months ago about Shane’s situation and what was going on in his life.

Shane is a warrior, a leader,” Coleman told Balls.ie.

“All us Irish people have seen that over the years with his performances.

“He’s not had the easiest of times up in Scotland. I’ve watched the games that he’s played and I don’t think Shane Duffy is the reason things aren’t going [for Celtic] the way they went [in previous years]. There’s been a lot of other reasons.

“I don’t know if he’ll mind me saying this or not but Shane Duffy’s dad passed away last summer. Not long after his dad died, he was on a plane to Brighton and straight up to Celtic.

“These are the little things that people don’t take into account. I don’t know if he’ll have had the opportunity to mourn his dad properly. This football bubble feels so important. It’s, ‘Yeah, you’ve got to get back to work, you’ve got to get back to Brighton’. For me, I think a lot of that has been taken into account, and we’ve got to bear that in mind.

“This lad would do anything for his club or his country. He doesn’t sulk. He’s a great character around the place. He had a tough time, and he jumped on a plane back to work, maybe quicker than most people would.

“Shane Duffy has done enough. He’s got enough credit in the bank for this country for us to keep supporting him. As media, and players, people need to keep supporting him.”

Seamus words were kindly received by Shane at the time.

Losing your father and then heading off to Scotland to play in an entirely different side in the midst of a pandemic where you’re on lockdown most of the time isn’t exactly conducive to being able to play your best.

If you know anything about Shane’s family, you will know Brian Duffy was a massive Celtic fan and would have been incredibly proud to see his bhoy pull on the Hoops.

Sadly he was taken from Shane and the rest of his family at only 53. If you’ve lost someone before their time, it’s hard to reconcile their passing in your head.

Shane has clearly struggled and amidst the struggle has been horrible abuse from rival fans. While the move to Celtic didn’t work out, we can only wish Shane the best for the future. Yes, we criticised him for his performances on the field, but as a human being, away from the game, he deserves a bit more respect than some care to show.

Shane signed off from Celtic, sending a message on Instagram thanking the fans.

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