Duffy stands tall on Old Trafford bouncing duty

At 1.93m tall, and with shoulders that could carry a nation, it’s not that difficult to imagine Republic of Ireland defender Shane Duffy as a nightclub bouncer keeping Manchester United out of his penalty area in the FA Cup at Old Trafford tomorrow; and it’s an image he is perfectly happy to embrace.

The Brighton centre-half, who has 17 caps and two goals for his country, has won praise for his consistent performances at club level this season, helping a newly-promoted side to 11th place in the Premier League and to within 90 minutes of a Wembley semi-final.

His partnership with Englishman Lewis Dunk, a similarly-sized and equally combative defender, has been the basis of that success — Albion have conceded fewer goals than sixth-placed Arsenal who they beat 2-1 recently — and brought him to the attention of BBC correspondent Garth Crooks.