International manager has squashed Shane Duffy claims

With Celtic fans buzzing about new loan signing Shane Duffy’s performance thus far, it looks as though his Ireland boss has voiced approval of the move.

After being criticized for the move to his boyhood club by former Ireland player Gary Breen, Duffy has put the nay-sayers to bed with back-to-back solid performances.

Scoring two goals in his first two appearances, the 6’4″ mountain of a defender has been a solid presence for the Hoops in defense in a 5-0 rout of Ross County and last night’s narrow 2-1 victory over St. Mirren.

Having been with his Republic of Ireland squad when the loan deal was made, Duffy was able to speak with his international boss Stephen Kenney about the move. Kenney, who formerly managed Scottish side Dunfermline in 2006-2007, apparently praised the move.

When speaking about his discussions with Kenney over the move, Duffy said:

"“I did speak to him. When I did sign I was with Ireland so we had a chat and he was delighted that I made the move here and he knows it can help me get better. Obviously Celtic play a lot with the ball and a lot higher up the pitch which is something that I wasn’t doing at Brighton so he thinks it can improve my game in that way and just the mentality of winning every single week and if I can bring that to the Ireland squad, he was all for it, of course.”"

Duffy has been a bright spot with the Ireland squad of late, scoring the side’s only goal in a 1-1 draw to Bulgaria in their Nations League opener over the recent break.

The loan move has been widely criticized by some of late, including one of Duffy’s former teammates who now plays for rival Rangers, with many thinking he belongs in a “higher-tier” league. It surely seems as though no one has told Shane yet, considering his solid performances in both matches thus far both on defense and scoring goals.

It looks as though the boyhood Hoops fan will be an integral part of the club’s campaign this season, with Hoops fans already pushing for the club to sign him on a permanent deal in the future.