FEB-U-LOUS DUFFY! Derry Playmaker Scoops Player of the Month

Photos Courtesy of Sportsfile

DERRY City’s flying winger Michael Duffy has been named the SSE Airtricity/Soccer Writers Ireland Player of the Month for February and is making a habit of collecting the awards.

The 31 year-old topped the nationwide poll in a two-horse race to edge out Bohemians striker, Colm Whelan by a mere three votes with Bohs’ midfielder, Dawson Devoy in third place.

Duffy who won the monthly gong in June of last year has continued his scintillating form at the start of the new season with some excellent performances and four goals for the Candystripes. He netted a hat-trick against Waterford recently with one of the goals a sublime piece of individual skill and brilliance.

The Derry-born Duffy who previously played with Celtic’s Development squad and had loan spells at Alloa Athletic and Dundee was capped nine times at U21 level for Northern Ireland.

A product of the Derry City youth system, he won two FAI Cups with Derry and Dundalk as well as two Premier Division titles with the Lilywhites.

He has twice been voted the PFA Ireland ‘Player of the Year’ making him one of the most exciting and enduring football talents in the country.

“I am delighted to win this award again for myself and my team and I think it’s recognition that we must be doing something right in Derry. It helps to keep the standards high and pushes us on to be even better as the season progresses,” said Duffy who netted 14 goals in all competitions last year and surpassed 150 appearances for his home town club.

The Brandywell hero added: “There’s a lot of expectation here at the club and obviously we want to be successful this season but we are only five games into our league campaign and we all want to chase the silverware.”

“We are moving up the road to Celtic Park next month to play four games there while the Brandywell has a new pitch laid and we are looking forward to it. It’s the first time that Derry will have played in the GAA stadium and it’s going to be an exciting time.

It’s a fine stadium, it will be exciting for the fans and it will be class for us to get to play on a good grass surface as well. Hopefully it will all have a positive impact on the team,” he added.

“It’s been great for me to come back and play in front of the Brandywell crowd again. I had a few unbelievable years at Dundalk and I will never forget them but to get success at Derry would mean more to me.

I intend to continue to play for the club, and to end my career at my home town club, would be ideal and it would be special for me. I have come back to my roots,” he added.