Journalist Tom Barclay reckons that Shane Duffy's recent revival at Brighton is exactly why Graham potter is rated so highly.

Duffy has been one of many success stories under Potter this season, with his Seagulls team sixth in the table heading into the international break following only one defeat from their first seven games.

What's happened with Duffy?

It all looks rosy for the defender, capped 47 times by the Republic of Ireland, at present, but that hasn't always been the case under the current regime.

This time two years ago and only months into Potter's Brighton tenure, Duffy lost his place in the side and was replaced by Adam Webster, who cost £20m following his arrival from Bristol City.

He made just 19 appearances in the Premier League that season and only seven starts from Christmas onwards, which led to his loan move to Celtic last summer.

But Duffy's time north of the border was largely forgetful despite winning the Scottish Cup and he returned to the South Coast this summer with his Brighton career looking in serious doubt.

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ENTER GIVEAWAY

However, Duffy has enjoyed a remarkable turnaround during the early parts of this season, playing every minute in the opening seven Premier League games to help the Seagulls make their best ever start at this level.

And Barclay has paid tribute to Potter for Duffy's impressive recent resurgence at the Amex Stadium.

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What did Barclay say?

He told GIVEMESPORT: "Credit to Potter. This is why so many in the media rate him so highly because he looks at what he has and rather than casting it aside, he looks at what he can make out of it. He looks at Shane Duffy's strengths.

"He's a very good defender, but perhaps not as good on the ball as some of his other defenders, but he's brilliant at attacking set-pieces."

How has Duffy performed?

Duffy's opportunity might have only arisen because Dan Burn missed the first four games with a knee problem, but the 29-year-old has more than justified his inclusion in Potter's side.

His WhoScored rating of 7.44 is comfortably the best in the Brighton squad, whilst Chelsea pair Trevoh Chalobah and Thiago Silva are the only two defenders in the Premier League with a higher mark this season.

Duffy's highlight came when he marked his return to the Amex by opening the scoring in the victory over Watford in August, but he was also man of the match at Burnley on the opening day and brilliant in keeping Arsenal out on Saturday.