This has been an impressive season for Shane Duffy.
Blackburn Rovers will not be anywhere near the promotion mix, in the coming weeks, but they will go into 2016/17 with hope.
Rovers have a number of decent, young players, a solid goalkeeper [Luke Steele] and the promise of summer investment. They also have a solid centre-back pairing, in captain Grant Hanley and Irish defender Shane Duffy.
Duffy scored his fourth goal of the season for Rovers, in a 1-0 win over Rotherham, and went close with another effort. He also teed up Jordi Gomez for a shot on target.
All afternoon, Duffy was a rock in the Rovers defence. He made a couple of crucial tackles and marshalled the back four well.
Post-match, outgoing Rovers boss declared Duffy was “outstanding”.
It was exactly the type of performance that earned him plaudits when he was on Ireland duty, last month.
Duffy was coy about his Euro 2016 chances but he will surely be one of Martin O’Neill’s four central defenders when he confirms his squad on May 28.
