Having recently signed a two-and-a-half year full-time professional contract with the Liverpool club, the former St. Joseph's Boys pupil received a pleasant surprise when reporting back for pre-season training last week.

The 17 year-old was selected to start in the arranged challenge game with League Two outfit, Bury at Gigg Lane alongside experienced Premiership stars, Philip Neville, Leon Osman, Jo, Leighton Baines, Louis Saha, Dan Gosling and James Vaughan.

Duffy, who comes from the Glendale Park area of the city, first played for Derry & District F.A. side, Foyle Harps as an 11-year-old before catching the eye of Everton manager David Moyes while playing for Northern Ireland against England in a schoolboys international in 2007.
He continues to make significant strides at the club and revealed he is expected to play a much more important role in the Everton Reserve squad when the English football season kicks-off again in August.
Ambitions

After making a positive impression on first team boss, Moyes, having played 90 minutes at the back in the 2-1 defeat to Bury, Duffy explained his ambitions for the upcoming campaign.

"I had a really good game, I didn't expect to be called up to the first team so early and I know it's only a friendly but it was a really good experience," said Duffy.

"We came back for pre-season training last Friday and I found out that I was going to be selected for the first team. David Moyes came up and said to me after the game that I had a good game. He made nine changes altogether but I played the whole match which was brilliant.

"I was given my squad number on Monday, number 34, I was surprised that it was up on the list in the first team area of the training ground and it's good to be up there. Hopefully I can just take my chances when I get them.

"He (Moyes) wants me to play a lot more this season. He said he needs me to play about 20 games for the Reserves and maybe even send me out on loan. That would be great because I want to get a bit of first team action. It's all about getting the experience at this stage of my career.

"It's a real boost to your confidence, ever since getting the call-up to the Northern Ireland squad my confidence has got a lot better."
Everton, who qualified for this season's Europa League, take on Rochdale in another pre-season friendly tomorrow before jetting off to Canada where they begin their American tour, and Duffy could be named among the travelling party.

"The first team are playing Rochdale in another friendly game on Saturday but I'll not know until Friday (today) if I'm playing.
"The squad goes out to America next week for the pre-season tour but I'm not sure if I'll be going because a lot of the regular first team players will be coming back after the break and it'll be a lot harder to get in the team.

"But if I don't go I'll be playing in the Milk Cup. I played in the Milk Cup before with the Under-20s and it will be good to be part of that again."

Coleman Continues to Shine
One of Shane's close friends in the Everton set-up is Killybegs native, Seamus Coleman who also completed his first 90 minutes for the first team last Friday night.

"Seamus Coleman is over here as well now, he's really a good friend of mine. Seamus played against Bury as well and had a brilliant game."
Comfortable

The 20-year-old former Sligo Rovers defender played the first 45 minutes in his normal right-back berth, before switching comfortably to the left-back slot for the second half.

Coleman spent two and a half years at the Bit O'Red before signing for Everton in January for an initial fee of 60,000 euro.