The late comer to the squad will be pushing for a start.
The European Championships in France are coming up and whilst much of the attention will be on those players who ply their trade in some of the best leagues in the world, there will be plenty of players from the Championship involved as well.
So who makes our list of the top ten players at the Euros from England’s second tier?
The likes of Wolves Dave Edwards, Derby’s Jeff Hendrick and Burnley’s Tom Heaton have all missed out – so who comes in at number nine?
Shane Duffy – Blackburn Rovers and Republic of Ireland
The former Everton talent has made a late surge into the Ireland squad and rightly so after a fantastic season in the Championship at Ewood Park.
The bullish and uncompromising centre-back has been excellent this term and, if you ask a Blackburn fan, has been the best defender in the division throughout 2015-16.
| Position | Team | Aerial Won | Total Clearance | Appearances | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shane Duffy | DF | Blackburn | 302 | 258 | 41 | 3,611 |
| Curtis Davies | DF | Hull City | 224 | 257 | 41 | 3,546 |
| Christophe Berra | DF | Ipswich | 220 | 275 | 43 | 3,870 |
| Grant Hanley | DF | Blackburn | 213 | 171 | 44 | 3,909 |
| Harlee Dean | DF | Brentford | 211 | 265 | 42 | 3,761 |
The Blackburn star has won more aerial balls than any other defender in the Championship this season and will be hoping to beat Richard Keogh, John O’Shea and Ciaran Clark to a starting spot in France.
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