Posted online: Aug 5th, 2010

By Dermot Keys

Everton’s Shane Duffy will now be eligible to play for Ireland following the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s decision that any player from Northern Ireland is eligible to declare for the Republic.

The 18-year-old from Derry declared for the Republic in February of this year, despite playing for Nothern Ireland up to U21 level. His father Brian hails from Letterkenny but it emerged that the young defender had not been given clearance to play for the Republic as a result of a legal case the Irish Football Association (IFA) were bringing Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The Northern Ireland football association had taken the case to try and stem the tide of Northern Ireland-born players declaring for the Republic. The case centred around midfielder Daniel Kearns, who had lined out for Northern Ireland before choosing to join the Republic set-up. The IFA argued that the player should not be allowed to switch sides as he had no family connections to the republic.

Speaking to the Post in April, a Football Association of Ireland (FAI) spokesperson confirmed that Duffy’s clearance was pending the outcome of the Daniel Kearns case. The FAI’s success in that case will now free up the Everton defender to line out for the Republic.

Duffy sustained a life-threatening injury while training with the Republic of Ireland squad in May. He ruptured an artery in a collision and two thirds of his blood supply leaked into his abdomen. He was initially told it would be six months before he could return to training but he has already started light training.