Richard Duffy

Richard Michael Duffy (born 30 August 1985) is a Welsh former professional footballer who is now the player-manager at North West Counties League Premier Division club Congleton Town. A versatile player who can play either on the right or at the centre of defence, he won 13 caps for Wales between 2005 and 2008. He is the younger brother of Robert Duffy.

He began his career at Swansea City, making his debut as a 16-year-old in December 2001, before winning a six-figure sum move to Premier League side Portsmouth in January 2004. He never broke into the first team picture at Fratton Park, and instead enjoyed numerous loan moves at Burnley, Coventry City, and former club Swansea. He switched to Millwall in February 2009, before signing with Exeter City in July 2009. He joined Port Vale in July 2012, and helped the club to secure promotion out of League Two in 2012–13. He stayed at the club for four years before joining Notts County via Eastleigh in June 2016. He joined Kidsgrove Athletic in August 2019.

He began coaching at Congleton Town in May 2020 and was appointed as the club's manager 12 months later.

Club Career

Swansea City

Duffy began his career at Swansea City, making his senior debut under Colin Addison as a 16-year-old on 8 December 2001, in a 4–1 defeat to Macclesfield Town at Moss Rose; he was a 64th-minute substitute for Michael Howard. However a bout of spondylosis in his lower back kept him out injured for over a year.

He returned to fitness at the start of the 2003–04 season, and soon won a regular place in the first team. He scored his first career goal in a 3–0 home win over Macclesfield on 16 September. Despite only having played 18 Third Division games, the Wales youth international soon began to attract the attention of scouts from bigger clubs, and in January 2004 he was sold to Premier League side Portsmouth on a four-year contract for a six-figure sum (believed to be £300,000).