Shane Duffy has left Brighton and Hove Albion after almost seven years’ service.
The club’s owner and chairman Tony Bloom paid tribute to the defender who joined Fulham on a permanent basis, having been on loan there since the start of the season.
He said: “Shane has played such an important role during his time at the club. He was a key character in our promotion to the Premier League in his first season here.
“He was equally key in helping to establish the club in the Premier League and has always been extremely popular in the dressing room and with Albion fans.
“I’d like to thank him for everything and to wish him and his family all the best for the future from everyone associated with the club.
“His contribution to our recent history won’t be forgotten and Shane will always be assured a warm welcome at the Amex.”
Duffy arrived at Albion from Blackburn Rovers in August 2016, when he became the club’s record signing, and won promotion to the Premier League in his first season.
He went on to make 119 Premier League appearances for the club, scoring seven goals across two spells. The 31-year-old spent the 2020-21 season on loan with Celtic, making 27 appearances in all competitions.
He returned and put in a man of the match performance on his first Albion start in nearly 18 months in a 2-1 win at Burnley on the opening day of the 2021-22 season.
He made 21 appearances last season before heading to Craven Cottage last summer.
Duffy began his career as a youngster with Everton and had loan spells with Burnley, Scunthorpe United and Yeovil Town, clocking up 50 senior appearances, with the majority coming in the Championship.
Called up to the Republic of Ireland senior squad in 2012, he eventually made his senior debut against Costa Rica in June 2014. He was part of the Ireland squad at Euro 2016 and has won more than 50 caps for his country.
Thank you for everything, @ShaneDuffy. 💙 pic.twitter.com/mLITCuwMY6
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) February 1, 2023
Meanwhile, Jack Spong will spend the remainder of the season at Crawley. The 20-year-old midfielder has progressed through Albion’s academy after joining the club in 2013 and made his debut for the under-21s in 2019.
Later that year he made his first senior appearance in a Carabao Cup tie against Aston Villa at the Amex.
Spong has made 10 appearances in Premier League 2 this season, contributing two goals and four assists.
Under-21s head coach Shannon Ruth said: “Jack has been part of our academy for almost 10 years now and is a regular for the under-21s.
“We believe now he’s ready to step into a first-team environment and get his first taste of senior football. We wish him well at Crawley and we’ll be monitoring his progress closely.”
Left back James Furlong, also 20, goes on loan to Motherwell in the Scottish Premier League until at least May.
He will join up with striker Jonathan Obika, who has joined the Scottish Premiership side from Morecambe in League One.
Obika, 32, a former academy player at Tottenham Hotspur, had a brief spell on loan with Brighton in 2014.
