 Duffy withBirmingham City in 2014 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mark James Duffy[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1985-10-07)7 October 1985 (age 40)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Liverpool, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[3] | ||
| Position(s) | |||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Southport (assistant manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1993–2003 | Liverpool | ||
| 2003–2004 | Wrexham | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2004–2005 | Vauxhall Motors | 6 | (0) |
| 2005–2007 | Prescot Cables | ||
| 2007–2009 | Southport | 79 | (13) |
| 2009 | →Morecambe (loan) | 9 | (1) |
| 2009–2011 | Morecambe | 59 | (5) |
| 2011–2013 | Scunthorpe United | 102 | (8) |
| 2013–2014 | Doncaster Rovers | 36 | (2) |
| 2014–2016 | Birmingham City | 4 | (0) |
| 2015 | →Chesterfield (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | →Burton Albion (loan) | 45 | (8) |
| 2016–2020 | Sheffield United | 111 | (15) |
| 2019–2020 | →Stoke City (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 2020 | →ADO Den Haag (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2020–2021 | Fleetwood Town | 24 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | Tranmere Rovers | 3 | (0) |
| 2022–2023 | Macclesfield | 36 | (2) |
| 2024 | Warrington Rylands | 8 | (0) |
| Total | 536 | (54) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2023 | Macclesfield | ||
| 2024 | Warrington Rylands | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 18:47, 24 May 2024 (UTC) | |||
Mark James Duffy (born 7 October 1985) is an Englishfootball coach and former player who is assistant manager ofNational League North clubSouthport.
Anattacking midfielder andright winger, Duffy began his career with the academies atLiverpool andWrexham before joining non-league sideVauxhall Motors. From there he went toPrescot Cables andSouthport and entered the Football League withMorecambe. He joinedScunthorpe United in January 2011, where he spent two and a half years atGlanford Park and the2013–14 season atDoncaster Rovers.
Duffy moved toBirmingham City in June 2014 but failed to establish himself in the side and was loaned out toChesterfield andBurton Albion with whom he helped win promotion to the Championship. Duffy signed forSheffield United in June 2016 and under the management ofChris Wilder the Blades won promotion from League One in2016–17 and the Championship in2018–19. In August 2019 Duffy joinedStoke City on loan for the first half of the2019–20 season and then Dutch sideADO Den Haag in January 2020.
Born inLiverpool, Duffy played for the youth teams of both home-town clubLiverpool (from the age of 7 to 16) and Welsh clubWrexham.[4][5] Duffy began his senior career playingnon-League football forVauxhall Motors, where he made nine appearances (six in the league), scoring once againstWoodley Sports in theCheshire Senior Cup.[6] He later joinedPrescot Cables.[7] Duffy stated that, early in his career, he lost his love of football and began working as a scaffolder and as a sports coach for the council.[4][8] Duffy moved toConference National sideSouthport fromPrescot Cables in February 2007.[9] The Sandgrounders were relegated to theConference North at the end of the2006–07 season. Duffy remained atHaig Avenue for the2007–08 season and mid-way through2008–09 he was in talks to join Football League sideMorecambe.[10]
Duffy signed forLeague Two clubMorecambe on loan in February 2009.[11] He scored his first goal Football League goal on 18 April 2009 in a 1–0 win againstNotts County.[12] He made the move toGlobe Arena permanent in the summer and scored six goals in 41 games as the Shrimps reached the League Two play-offs where they lost 7–2 on aggregate toDagenham & Redbridge.[13] Duffy began the2010–11 season in good form and managerSammy McIlroy stated that he can go on to play at a higher level.[14]
Duffy moved toChampionship sideScunthorpe United on 20 January 2011 for an undisclosed fee, signing a two-and-a-half-year contract.[15][16] He made his debut two days later, in a 0–0 draw at home toBurnley.[17] Duffy played 22 times for Scunthorpe in2010–11 as the Iron suffered relegation to League One.[18] He made 43 appearances in2011–12 helping Scunthorpe avoid a second consecutive relegation.[19] However relegation to League Two was suffered in2012–13 despite a final day victory againstSwindon Town.[20] Following relegation Scunthorpe received several bids for Duffy fromDoncaster Rovers.[21][22]
Duffy moved toDoncaster Rovers in July 2013 for an undisclosed fee.[23] Duffy scored twice in 39 appearances in2013–14 as Doncaster were relegated to League One on goal difference.[24][25]
Duffy signed a two-year contract withBirmingham City in June 2014 after activating his relegation release clause at Doncaster Rovers.[26][27] He made his debut as a second-half substitute in the opening-day defeat atMiddlesbrough, and his first League start for the club on 27 September, in a 2–1 home defeat toFulham; Duffy was substituted at half-time, at which point Birmingham were leading.[28] After appearing only once more in the league by the end of January 2015, he spent a month on loan toLeague One clubChesterfield, where he made one start and two substitute appearances.[28][29]
Before the start of the2015–16 season, Duffy joinedBurton Albion, newly promoted to League One, on loan until 2 January 2016.[30] In pre-season, Burton managerJimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink used him in aplaymaker role,[31] and he began the league season as a regular selection in the starting eleven.[32] In the opening match, Scunthorpe goalkeeperLuke Daniels was sent off for elbowing Duffy in the head; the resulting penalty gave Burton a 2–1 win.[33]
After the initial loan period expired, it was extended to the end of the season.[34] Duffy completed the season having missed only one league match, againstWalsall in February after twisting his ankle in training.[32][35] He scored eight goals[32] and provided numerous assists[36] as Burton were promoted to the Championship as League One runners-up. His performances earned him selection in thePFA League One Team of the Year.[36]
Duffy was released by Birmingham at the end of the season,[37] and signed a two-year contract with League One clubSheffield United.[38] Duffy won promotion from League One for a second successive year in 2017, and was also named in the PFA Team of the Year for a second time.[39] Duffy was converted to anattacking midfield role under the management ofChris Wilder as the Blades had a solid return to the Championship finishing in 10th place.[40][41] He signed a new contract with Sheffield United in January 2018.[42] Duffy scored six goals in 38 matches in2018–19 as Sheffield United had a very successful campaign finishing as runners-up and were promoted to thePremier League.[43] However, in pre-season Duffy's request for a new contract was turned down by Wilder who made him available for a move away fromBramall Lane.[44]
On 8 August 2019, Duffy joinedStoke City on loan for the2019–20 season.[45][46] Duffy struggled for game time at Stoke making just nine appearances underNathan Jones and didn't feature at all underMichael O'Neill.[47]
On 31 January 2020 Duffy's loan at Stoke was cut short and he moved on a six-month loan to Dutch sideADO Den Haag.[48]
He was released by Sheffield United at the end of the 2019–20 season.[49]
On 4 September 2020 he signed a one-year contract withFleetwood Town.[50] He scored his first goal for Fleetwood in anEFL Cup tie againstEverton on 23 September 2020.[51]
At the end of the2020–21 season, he was released by Fleetwood Town.[52]
On 31 August 2021, Duffy joinedLeague Two clubTranmere Rovers on a short-term deal until January 2022.[53][54]
On 7 January 2022, Duffy signed forNorth West Counties League Premier Division sideMacclesfield.[55] During his time at the club, he helped them achieve back-to-back league titles and promotions as they went from the ninth to the seventh tier,[56][57] as well as acting as first-team coach.[58] After the departure ofNeil Danns on 5 May 2023, Duffy was named as the head coach ofMacclesfield.[58] He was sacked in October 2023 following a run of four defeats in five matches.[59]
In February 2024, Duffy returned to playing when he joinedWarrington Rylands.[60] He made nine appearances, mainly as a substitute, and, after Rylands' manager was sacked in mid-April, took charge of the team alongsideDean Furman took charge of the team for the last three matches of the season, which included a play-off semifinal defeat.[61][62] On 24 May, Duffy was appointed manager of Warrington Rylands.[63]
Following a poor start to the season, he was sacked in September 2024.[64]
In May 2025, Duffy was appointed assistant manager of former side Southport, assisting the newly appointedNeil Danns.[65]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Vauxhall Motors | 2004–05[6] | Conference North | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3[a] | 1 | 9 | 1 | |
| Southport | 2006–07[5] | Conference National | 17 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 17 | 4 | ||
| 2007–08[66] | Conference North | 38 | 5 | 3 | 1 | — | 9[b] | 3 | 50 | 9 | ||
| 2008–09[67] | Conference North | 24 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | 10[c] | 2 | 35 | 6 | ||
| Total | 79 | 13 | 4 | 1 | — | 19 | 5 | 102 | 19 | |||
| Morecambe (loan) | 2008–09[7] | League Two | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 9 | 1 | |
| Morecambe | 2009–10[68] | League Two | 37 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 41 | 6 |
| 2010–11[17] | League Two | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 26 | 0 | |
| Total | 68 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 76 | 7 | ||
| Scunthorpe United | 2010–11[17] | Championship | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 22 | 1 | |
| 2011–12[19] | League One | 37 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2[d] | 0 | 43 | 2 | |
| 2012–13[69] | League One | 43 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1[d] | 1 | 47 | 7 | |
| Total | 102 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 112 | 10 | ||
| Doncaster Rovers | 2013–14[25] | Championship | 36 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 39 | 2 | |
| Birmingham City | 2014–15[28] | Championship | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 7 | 1 | |
| 2015–16[32] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 7 | 1 | |||
| Chesterfield (loan) | 2014–15[28] | League One | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | |
| Burton Albion (loan) | 2015–16[32] | League One | 45 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 47 | 8 |
| Sheffield United | 2016–17[70] | League One | 39 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[e] | 0 | 44 | 6 |
| 2017–18[41] | Championship | 36 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 39 | 3 | ||
| 2018–19[71] | Championship | 36 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 38 | 6 | ||
| 2019–20[72] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 111 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 121 | 15 | ||
| Stoke City (loan) | 2019–20[72] | Championship | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | |
| ADO Den Haag (loan) | 2019–20[73] | Eredivisie | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | |||
| Fleetwood Town | 2020–21[74] | League One | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4[e] | 1 | 31 | 2 |
| Tranmere Rovers | 2021–22[75] | League Two | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4[e] | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Macclesfield | 2021–22[76] | NWCL Premier Division | 14 | 1 | — | — | 2[f] | 0 | 16 | 1 | ||
| 2022–23[77] | NPL Division One West | 21 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 4[g] | 0 | 27 | 1 | ||
| 2023–24[78] | NPL Premier Division | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Total | 36 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | 45 | 2 | |||
| Warrington Rylands | 2023–24[61] | NPL Premier Division | 8 | 0 | — | — | 1[h] | 0 | 9 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 536 | 54 | 21 | 2 | 20 | 3 | 45 | 8 | 622 | 67 | ||
Southport
Burton Albion
Sheffield United
Macclesfield
Individual