Ireland defender Shane Duffy, currently playing for Norwich in the Championship, has apologized in two tweets after deleting a series of posts on social media.
Former Premier League defender Shane Duffy has said: “Sometimes I let my emotions get the better of me” after apologizing for a post criticizing his club’s fans. The Ireland international has missed out on current club Norwich City this season with a calf injury, and the Canaries have struggled in his absence.
Norwich, who appointed new manager Liam Manning over the summer, suffered a fourth successive defeat with defeat to Derby County on Tuesday. They currently sit in the relegation bracket of the Championship and Duffy went on a rant at fans on social media, which has now been deleted.
“I get it, I’m frustrated. I get it, I really get it. I get the abuse towards me! I promise you one thing, this is locker room heat that I’ve been involved in,” Duffy wrote in a since-deleted post that has been reported in various media outlets.
“By the way your (sic) ak**b and I know your bro,” he wrote in response to one fan. “The context for this is basically your (sic) ag**p.”
Duffy, who has played in the Premier League for Everton, Brighton and Fulham, was a regular at Norwich last season, at times battling for a play-off place, but finished midway through. He has not yet played for new coach Manning, but he spoke about his widespread dissatisfaction.
read more: Jack Wilshere becomes Luton Town manager after refusing to return to Arsenalread more: Frank Lampard calls for calm after Coventry extend record-breaking Championship lead
“It’s been a tough time and it hurt to see the criticism of the team,” he wrote on Wednesday. “We have to accept that criticism now. Everyone here is very concerned about performing well, but sometimes emotions get the better of us when things don’t go to plan.
“My comments were made out of frustration and not a lack of respect for our supporters. We truly value your passion and support. I apologize for my comments.”
Ahead of the game against Derby, Norwich manager Manning confirmed Duffy’s return was imminent. “Shane trained this morning and looked good. We’ll probably be thinking about him this weekend, as well as Matthias Qvistgaden,” the manager said.
“We need to get the balance right. We’ll have more options at the weekend, but we can’t be stupid and reckless if someone could break down. We need bodies available to change the position we’re in.”
Norwich’s next game will be a trip to Wales to take on Swansea City on Saturday. Alan Sheehan’s Swans are without a win in their last three games, losing at home to QPR on Wednesday, but are still five points clear of 16th-placed Norwich.
After the Derby loss, Manning said more quality in the opponent’s box could have produced a completely different result. “I thought we had a lot of really good moments (in the first half)…but no matter how good you play, you have to be relentless at the end,” he said.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Sky Sports Premier League and EFL package discounts
£43
£35
sky
Get the deal here
Sky has reduced the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 on their bill and offering more than 1,400 live matches from the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will broadcast at least 215 live Premier League matches next season, with an increase of up to 100 more.
