Shane Duffy: ‘I can score in every Celtic game’

Defender believes club’s free kick and corner kick count can give him plenty opportunities

Shane Duffy scores to Celtic's equaliser in Wednesday's 2-1 win over St Mirren (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

Shane Duffy has claimed he is capable of netting in every Celtic outing because of the territorial domination the Scottish champions tend to enjoy.

The 6ft 5in central defender has plundered two headed goals from two games since his loan move from Brighton - where he only scored twice in the previous 18 months. His Celtic strikes give the 28-year-old the confidence he can eclipse his scoring from previous clubs.

The Republic of Ireland captain nodded home a free-kick from Ryan Christie in Wednesday’s 2-1 win over St Mirren after soaring to power in a Callum McGregor corner in his debut against Ross County last weekend.

“Personally, I think that I can score in every game if I get the chances. Celtic get a lot more free-kicks and corners than the other teams I’ve played for so that gives me the opportunity to compete in the box and get my head on the ball,” said Duffy, whose stints with Brighton, Blackburn Rovers, Yeovil, Scunthorpe, Burnley and Everton yielded only 17 goals.

“Scoring isn’t the main thing I concentrate on – that’s keeping clean sheets and winning games but scoring is a part of my game I’ve always wanted to improve. I should have scored many more goals in my career but I’ve missed a lot of chances and that’s something I want to cement. I want to convert more of the openings that come my way but I’ve just got to keep at it and keep getting into the right positions and I know I’ll score eventually.”

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