Duffy Set for Preston?

Darren Ferguson, manager of Preston N.E.

It appears that David Moyes may have found the right club for his starlet Shane Duffy to join on loan.

Indeed, it has emerged that Darren Ferguson, who is currently the manager of David Moyes' former club Preston, is interested in taking the central defender on loan.

The move could potentially see 18 year old Duffy link up with fellow Ireland international, Sean St. Ledger. St. Ledger, however, has been linked with a move out of Deepdale, with Aston Villa and Liverpool reported to be interested and it is possible that Ferguson views Duffy as a long-term replacement.

Duffy Must Go on Loan

Shane Duffy in action against BATE Borisov in the Europa League

Following the recent revelation that David Moyes is keen to send promising defender Shane Duffy on loan, it is the opinion of this blog that it must transpire sooner, rather than later.

Having fully recovered from the life-threatening injury he suffered in May with the Irish senior team, 18 year old Shane Duffy has made tremendous strides. He is once again captaining Alan Stubbs' Everton reserve team and he played an influential role in Ireland's recent U19 UEFA qualifying campaign. Remarkably, he was even included on the first-team bench for the recent game against Tottenham Hotspur, with Moyes suggesting that he could have come on to neutralise the threat posed by Peter Crouch.

Such progress is undeniably testament to Duffy's strength of character. Indeed, in the aftermath of the injury, doctors were predicting that it would be Christmas before the towering defender would play again, but Duffy amazingly defied the odds, playing his first full game in a pre-season friendly against Sligo Rovers on August 8 - just thirteen weeks after he had undergone emergency surgery in the Mater Hospital.

It is now November and since making his return in August, Duffy has played a mere six reserve games, along with three international games with Paul Doolin's Ireland U19 team. The return to fitness of the majority of Everton's first team, along with the solid partnership formed by Phil Jagielka and Sylvain Distin, means that Duffy's chances of first team action are becoming increasingly limited and for a promising young player like Duffy, time on the pitch is absolutely crucial to the development of his game.

When David Moyes made the decision to let his former captain Joseph Yobo go on loan to Fenerbahçe at the beginning of the season, it seemed as though Duffy had moved up in the ranks. Furthermore, it emerged that Moyes had rejected a bid from League Two outfit Northampton Town to take Duffy on loan, giving the distinct impression that he wanted to keep Duffy around as immediate back-up. However, now that Moyes has publicly announced his desire to let his young star gain some valuable experience, clubs will be lining up to take the Irishman. Indeed, considering that Moyes actually rejected an offer from Northampton, it seems that the 'right club', must be one of a higher standard, perhaps Championship or League One level.

Everton reserves will travel to London on Monday (8th November) to face off against Arsenal reserves. The game is certain to be a stern test for Duffy and it provides scouts with a perfect opportunity to watch the centre-half in action against relatively tough opposition.

Moyes Contemplates Sending Duffy on Loan

Everton manager David Moyes has indicated his desire to send promising centre-half, Shane Duffy, on loan. The 18 year old Irish defender has experienced his fair share of drama despite his youth and Moyes is keen to send the player on loan, now that he has fully recovered from his life-threatening injury, in order to further his education as a footballer. Moyes said:

“I'd like to put Shane out on loan. We've been keeping an eye on him at first (since his injury) and keeping him indoors. He's very good in the air though, and could have come on against Crouch (at White Hart Lane). If we find the right club he could go on loan.”

Interestingly, Moyes recently rejected an offer from League Two outfit Northampton Town to take Duffy on loan, which suggests that Moyes would prefer Duffy to experience a higher standard of football. Nevertheless, any such move is sure to be tremendously benficial to the promising young defender and both Ireland and Everton fans will be paying close attention to any potential move.

Duffy Included in Ireland U19 squad for UEFA Qualifiers

Young Everton defender, Shane Duffy, has been included in the Ireland U19 squad for their upcoming UEFA Qualifying games.

The call-up marks a return to international action for Duffy following the freak injury he sustained in May with the Irish senior squad and he is in line to make his first competitive appearance for Ireland since switching to the FAI from the IFA.

The 18 year-old is included in a squad which also contains Mark O'Brien, the young Derby County defender, who has made a full recovery from his recent heart surgery, and a number of domestically based players, including his fellow Derry-man, Patrick McEleney.

Republic of Ireland U19 squad:

• Sean Mc Dermott (Arsenal)
• Aaron McCarey (Wolves)
• Declan Walker (Wrexham)
• John Egan (Sunderland)
• Anthony O'Connor (Blackburn Rovers)
• Sean McGinty (Manchester United)
• Mark O'Brien (Derby County)
• SHANE DUFFY (Everton)
• Carl McHugh (Reading)
• Daryl Horgan (Salthill Devon)
• Shane Byrne (Leicester City)
• Stephen McDonnell (Dundalk)
• Jeff Hendrick (Derby County)
• Liam Irwin (Bolton Wanderers)
• Craig Walsh (Longford Town)
• Patrick McEleney (Derry City)
• Robbie Brady (Manchester United)
• Michael Rafter (Colchester United)

UEFA U19 Championship first phase qualifiers:

Thursday October 7 (4pm)
Republic of Ireland v Luxembourg, Georgi Benkovski, Teteven
Saturday October 9 (4pm)
Republic of Ireland v Bulgaria, Georgi Benkovski, Teteven
Tuesday October 12 (4pm)
Serbia v Republic of Ireland, Georgi Benkovski, Teteven.