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Michael Duff (footballer)

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Michael Duff
Duff as manager of Barnsley in 2022
Personal information
Full name Michael James Duff[1]
Date of birth (1978-01-11) 11 January 1978 (age 46)[1]
Place of birth Belfast, Northern Ireland
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[1]
Position(s) Centre-back[2]
Team information
Current team
 Huddersfield Town (Head Coach)
Youth career
1995–1996 Carterton Town
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1996–2004 Cheltenham Town 300 (15)
1996–1997 → Cirencester Town (loan)
2004–2016 Burnley 342 (7)
Total 642 (22)
International career
2003 Northern Ireland B 2 (1)
2002–2012 Northern Ireland 24 (0)
Managerial career
2018–2022 Cheltenham Town
2022–2023 Barnsley
2023 Swansea City
2024– Huddersfield Town
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Michael James Duff (born 11 January 1978) is a Northern Irish professional football manager and former player who is the current head coach of League One club Huddersfield Town.

In a professional playing career spanning from 1996 to 2016, in which he made over 600 appearances, Duff played as a defender for Cheltenham Town, Cirencester Town (on loan) and Burnley, winning three Premier League promotions with the latter. He played in each of the top eight tiers of English football in ascending order. At international level, Duff earned 24 caps for Northern Ireland.

After retiring as a player, Duff coached at Burnley's academy before becoming manager of Cheltenham Town in 2018. In 2021, he led Cheltenham to their first automatic promotion from League Two as champions. He was appointed head coach of Barnsley in 2022, leading them to the League One play-off final in his first season. One month later, Duff was named head coach of Swansea City before being dismissed in December 2023.

Early life

[edit]

Duff was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 1978.[2] He moved with his family to Gibraltar and then Germany due to his father's career in the Royal Air Force.[3] They settled in Bedale, North Yorkshire for six years, where Duff attended secondary school.[3]

As a boy, Duff joined the football academies of Nottingham Forest, Darlington and Swindon Town, but was released from all three due to his short stature.[3] At age 11, Duff witnessed the Hillsborough disaster during the 1989 FA Cup semi-final between Forest and Liverpool, which he attended with his father.[4]

Playing career

[edit]

Cheltenham Town

[edit]

At 16 years old, Duff played for Carterton Town and was spotted by Cheltenham Town scout Derek Bragg.[5] Duff attended a trial at Cheltenham before making several appearances for their first team in the Southern League.[3]

Following a loan spell at Cirencester Town, Duff returned to Cheltenham when Steve Cotterill took over as manager.[5] In Duff's first full season at the club, Cheltenham were promoted from the Southern League before winning the FA Trophy at Wembley in 1998.[3][5] The following year, Duff scored a 93rd-minute winning goal against Yeovil Town to promote Cheltenham to the Football League.[6][3]

Cheltenham won promotion again in 2002, with Duff playing as a centre-back in the team, having previously played right-back.[5] He was named in the 2001–02 Third Division Team of the Year by the Professional Footballers' Association.[7] On 13 February 2002, Duff earned his first international cap for Northern Ireland, playing the final nine minutes of a 4–1 friendly loss to Poland in Cyprus.[5][8] Cheltenham were relegated the following season, but were subsequently promoted back to the Third Division.[3]

Burnley

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In 2004, Duff made a £30,000 move to Burnley in the Championship and became a regular starter for the club, spending five consecutive seasons in the Championship.[3] At age 29, he picked up a serious cruciate knee injury against Crystal Palace at Turf Moor during the 2007–08 season.[3][9] The injury caused him to miss five months of football,[10] but he returned at the end of the season.[3]

The following season, Burnley were promoted to the Premier League after beating Sheffield United in the play-off final.[11][3] Duff played in the match, which ended Burnley's 33-year absence from the top-flight.[11] After completing his Premier League debut, Duff had played in the top eight tiers of English football.[3][12]

Burnley were relegated in 2010, but Duff remained with the team. They were promoted again in 2014 before suffering another relegation the following year.[13] Duff retired from playing professionally at the end of the 2015–16 season, aged 38, having helped Burnley win the Championship title and promotion back to the Premier League.[14][15] As a result, he became the second footballer, after Neil Clement of West Bromwich Albion, to be promoted to the Premier League on three occasions with the same club.[16]

Duff made more than 300 appearances for Burnley.[14] He was capped several times for Northern Ireland as a Burnley player, playing in games such as the 1–0 win over England in 2005 and the 3–2 win over Spain in 2006, before retiring from international football in 2012.[14]

Managerial career

[edit]

After retiring from playing, Duff coached Burnley's under-18 squad in 2016 before becoming head coach of the under-23 squad in 2017.[17] He also worked with Burnley's first-team, travelling with the squad to several UEFA Europa League matches in 2018.[3]

Cheltenham Town

[edit]

"We were good without the ball but couldn't score a goal. I didn't win a game for 10 games! We changed from 4–4–2 to 3–5–2 and we are now completely expansive in terms of our level. There are teams that do try and play football and we are one of them."

—Duff on his tactical switch during his first season at Cheltenham.[18]

On 10 September 2018, Duff was appointed manager of his former club Cheltenham Town in League Two, his first managerial position.[19] His first win was a 6–2 victory over Arsenal's under-21s in the EFL Trophy.[20] In his second season, Duff won the League Two Manager of the Month award for September 2019 and February 2020.[21] He won the award in February after Cheltenham achieved 18 points from 21, with the club sitting in fifth place and four points from automatic promotion.[21]

The following season, Duff's Cheltenham hosted Premier League champions Manchester City in the FA Cup.[22] They led City 1–0 before conceding three goals in the final 10 minutes.[22] The same season, Duff secured Cheltenham's first automatic promotion in the Football League with a 1–1 draw against Carlisle United on 27 April 2021.[23] Duff was named the League Two Manager of the Season and Cheltenham finished the season as champions.[24][25]

Duff then led the club to their highest-ever finish in the Football League at the end of the 2021–22 season; a 15th placed finish in League One.[26] In June 2022, after nearly four years at the club, Duff informed Cheltenham that he wished to depart for new opportunities.[27]

Barnsley

[edit]

On 15 June 2022, Duff was appointed head coach of recently relegated League One side Barnsley on a three-year deal.[28] Duff won the League One Manager of the Month award for November 2022, with Barnsley winning both of their two league games during the month.[29] He won the award for a second consecutive month after ten points from four matches saw the club rise to fourth in the table.[30]

Duff won the award again in February 2023, with Barnsley having gained 16 points from six matches and remained unbeaten throughout the month.[31] He led the club to the play-off final at the end of the season, losing 1–0 to Sheffield Wednesday in extra time.[32]

Swansea City

[edit]

Duff was named head coach of Championship club Swansea City on 22 June 2023. He signed a three-year deal, with Barnsley being paid compensation.[33] His debut on 5 August was a 1–1 draw at home to Birmingham City; Tom Coleman of Walesonline praised him for using different tactics to predecessor Russell Martin.[34] Swansea took three points from a seven-game winless run at the start of the season before defeating Sheffield Wednesday 3–0 at the Swansea.com Stadium on 23 September;[35] this was the first of four wins in a row, followed by one win in eight for the rest of his tenure.[36] The club sacked Duff on 4 December 2023.[36]

Duff said his Swansea team would play differently to previous managers such as Martin, and said that they would be more physical and fast-paced.[36] Fans of Swansea voiced discontent in Duff not playing to "the Swansea way", the possession-based style of football associated with the club since Roberto Martínez's management in the 2000s.[37][36] In September 2023, during the poor start to the season, Duff said that fans calling for the reintroduction of "the Swansea way" did not understand how football had changed.[38]

Huddersfield Town

[edit]

On 13 May 2024, Duff was appointed head coach of newly relegated EFL League One club Huddersfield Town on a three-year contract.[39]

Personal life

[edit]

Duff has two sons with his wife Jess, who is from Cheltenham. He settled his family in the town and remained living there while manager of Barnsley, 150 miles away.[40][41]

Career statistics

[edit]

Club

[edit]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Cheltenham Town
1996–97[42]
 Southern League Premier 17 0 0 0 — 0 0 17 0
1997–98[43] Football Conference 41 0 5 0 — 0 0 46 0
1998–99[44] Football Conference 41 3 1 0 — 0 0 42 3
1999–2000[45] Third Division 31 2 2 0 0 0 2[a] 0 35 2
2000–01[46] Third Division 39 5 2 0 2 0 1[a] 0 44 5
2001–02[47] Third Division 45 3 5 0 1 0 5[b] 0 56 3
2002–03[48] Second Division 44 2 3 0 2 0 2[a] 0 51 2
2003–04[49] Third Division 42 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 45 0
Total 300 15 21 0 6 0 10 0 337 15
Burnley
2004–05[50]
 Championship 42 0 2 0 4 0 — 48 0
2005–06[51]
 Championship 41 0 1 0 3 1 — 45 1
2006–07[52]
 Championship 44 2 0 0 1 0 — 45 2
2007–08[53]
 Championship 8 1 0 0 2 0 — 10 1
2008–09[54]
 Championship 27 1 3 0 7 0 3[c] 0 40 1
2009–10[55] Premier League 11 0 2 0 1 0 — 14 0
2010–11[56] Championship 28 1 3 0 1 0 — 32 1
2011–12[57] Championship 31 0 0 0 1 0 — 32 0
2012–13[58] Championship 24 1 1 0 3 0 — 28 1
2013–14[59] Championship 41 1 0 0 1 0 — 42 1
2014–15[60] Premier League 21 0 1 0 0 0 — 22 0
2015–16[61] Championship 24 0 0 0 1 0 — 25 0
Total 342 7 13 0 25 1 3 0 383 8
Career total 642 22 34 0 31 1 13 0 720 23
  1. ^ a b c Appearance(s) in Football League Trophy
  2. ^ Three appearances in Third Division play-offs, two in Football League Trophy
  3. ^ Appearances in Championship play-offs

International

[edit]
Appearances and goals by national team and year[62]
National team Year Apps Goals
Northern Ireland 2002 2 0
2004 2 0
2005 3 0
2006 7 0
2007 6 0
2008 2 0
2012 2 0
Total 24 0

Managerial statistics

[edit]
As of match played 26 November 2024[63]
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team From To Record
P W D L Win %
Cheltenham Town 10 September 2018 13 June 2022 203 82 60 61 040.39
Barnsley 15 June 2022 22 June 2023 58 32 9 17 055.17
Swansea City 22 June 2023 4 December 2023 21 6 6 9 028.57
Huddersfield Town 13 May 2024 Present 22 12 2 8 054.55
Total 304 132 77 95 043.42

Honours

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As a player

[edit]

Cheltenham Town

Burnley

Individual

As a manager

[edit]

Cheltenham Town

Individual

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2008). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2008–09. Mainstream. ISBN 978-1-84596-324-8.
  2. ^ a b "Michael Duff". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Duff in detail – in-depth interview with Reds head coach". Barnsley Chronicle. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  4. ^ "Michael Duff single-minded as 'Little Cheltenham' take giant steps". The Guardian. 25 March 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d e "The Michael Duff fairytale story". This is Gloucestershire. 18 January 2010. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
  6. ^ "Relegated Barnsley FC name former Burnley defender Michael Duff as new manager". ITV News. 16 June 2022. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  7. ^ a b "PFA teams send Hatters mad". The Guardian. 15 April 2002. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  8. ^ "Poles outclass Northern Ireland". BBC Sport. 13 February 2002. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  9. ^ Duff Faces Lengthy Spell Out | Burnley | News | Latest Headlines | Latest Headlines Archived 10 January 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ "Duff: I feared injury had ended my career". Lancashire Telegraph. 26 February 2008. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  11. ^ a b "Burnley 1–0 Sheff Utd". BBC Sport. 25 May 2009. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  12. ^ "Duff tips Dyche to manage England". Belfast Telegraph. 2 April 2015. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  13. ^ "Burnley are relegated despite Danny Ings sealing win at Hull". The Guardian. 9 May 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  14. ^ a b c "Ex-Northern Ireland star Michael Duff hangs up boots and takes over Burnley starlets". Belfast Telegraph. 9 May 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  15. ^ "Burnley stalwart Michael Duff retires after 383 games for club". Sky Sports. 9 May 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  16. ^ Quelch, Tim (2017). From Orient to the Emirates: The Plucky Rise of Burnley FC. Pitch Publishing Ltd. p. 342. ISBN 978-1785313127.
  17. ^ "Michael Duff appointed new Burnley U23s coach". Sky Sports. 4 July 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  18. ^ "Michael Duff exclusive: Clarets hero on Dyche lessons, life in dug-out & potential Burnley return". Lancashire Live. 13 September 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  19. ^ "Michael Duff: Cheltenham Town appoint Burnley Under-23 coach as manager". BBC Sport. 10 September 2018.
  20. ^ "RECAP: Cheltenham Town defeat Arsenal Under-21s 6–2 to earn Michael Duff first win as boss". Gloucestershire Live. 30 October 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  21. ^ a b "Sky Bet League Two: Manager and Player of the Month winners". English Football League. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
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  26. ^ "Cheltenham Town 0–4 Barnsley". BBC Sport. 18 February 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  27. ^ "Club statement: Michael Duff". ctfc.com. 13 June 2022.
  28. ^ "REDS APPOINT DUFF AS HEAD COACH". barnsleyfc.co.uk. 15 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  29. ^ a b "MICHAEL DUFF NAMED NOVEMBER SKY BET LEAGUE ONE MANAGER OF THE MONTH". barnsleyfc.co.uk. 9 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  30. ^ a b "Introducing your Sky Bet EFL December Manager and Player of the Month winners!". efl.com. 13 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  31. ^ a b "Sky Bet EFL Manager and Player of the Month: February winners". EFL. 10 March 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  32. ^ "Sheffield Wednesday promoted after last-gasp goal sinks Barnsley". 29 May 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  33. ^ "Michael Duff: Swansea City name Barnsley manager as new boss". BBC Sport. 22 June 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  34. ^ Coleman, Tom (6 August 2023). "Swansea City notes: Martinball gone, promising debuts and transfer point hammered home". Walesonline. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  35. ^ Vincent, Gareth (23 September 2023). "Michael Duff: 'It's not about me' says Swansea City head coach after first league win". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  36. ^ a b c d Wathan, Chris (5 December 2023). "Swansea City: Why Championship club sacked head coach Michael Duff and what next?". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  37. ^ James, Stuart (4 December 2023). "Swansea sack head coach Michael Duff". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  38. ^ Smith, Alan (23 September 2023). "Michael Duff tells Swansea fans to stop living in the past with Pep Guardiola comparison". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  39. ^ "Huddersfield Town appoint Duff as head coach". BBC Sport. 13 May 2024. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  40. ^ "Michael Duff: From non-league Cheltenham Town player to promotion-winning manager". BBC Sport. 28 April 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  41. ^ Wobschall, Leon (27 March 2023). "Michael Duff on clocking up the miles and the importance of family in his Barnsley journey". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  42. ^ "Games played by Mike Duff in 1996/1997". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  43. ^ "Games played by Mike Duff in 1997/1998". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  44. ^ "Games played by Mike Duff in 1998/1999". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  45. ^ "Games played by Mike Duff in 1999/2000". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  46. ^ "Games played by Mike Duff in 2000/2001". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  47. ^ "Games played by Mike Duff in 2001/2002". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  48. ^ "Games played by Mike Duff in 2002/2003". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  49. ^ "Games played by Mike Duff in 2003/2004". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  50. ^ "Games played by Mike Duff in 2004/2005". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  51. ^ "Games played by Mike Duff in 2005/2006". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  52. ^ "Games played by Mike Duff in 2006/2007". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  53. ^ "Games played by Mike Duff in 2007/2008". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  54. ^ "Games played by Mike Duff in 2008/2009". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  55. ^ "Games played by Mike Duff in 2009/2010". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  56. ^ "Games played by Mike Duff in 2010/2011". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  57. ^ "Games played by Mike Duff in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  58. ^ "Games played by Mike Duff in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  59. ^ "Games played by Mike Duff in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  60. ^ "Games played by Mike Duff in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  61. ^ "Games played by Mike Duff in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  62. ^ "Mike Duff". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  63. ^ "Managers: Michael Duff". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  64. ^ "Cheltenham crack Diamonds". BBC Sport. 6 May 2002. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  65. ^ "Champions Weekend: Cheltenham Town's Conference title 1999". Cheltenham Town FC. 3 May 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  66. ^ Rupert Metcalf (17 May 1998). "Football: Idyllic end for Cheltenham". The Independent. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  67. ^ Anderson, John, ed. (2016). Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2016–2017. London: Headline Publishing Group. pp. 94–95. ISBN 978-1-4722-3395-0.
  68. ^ Anderson, John, ed. (2014). Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2014–2015. London: Headline Publishing Group. pp. 90–91. ISBN 978-1-4722-1251-1.
  69. ^ Fletcher, Paul (25 May 2009). "Burnley 1–0 Sheff Utd". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  70. ^ "Cheltenham 4–1 Harrogate: Michael Duff's Robins clinch League Two title in style".
  71. ^ "September Manager of the Month winners". EFL. 11 October 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  72. ^ "Sky Bet League Two: Manager and Player of the Month winners". EFL. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
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