Moyes Praises 'Mature' Duffy

Boss praises maturity of young defender after Blackburn game.

David Moyes praised the maturity of Shane Duffy after his home Premier League debut.

Duffy has played in the last three Everton games, deputising for the injured Phil Jagielka and Sylvain Distin at the heart of Everton's defence.

After solid showings at Tottenham and Aston Villa the Irishman ran out at Goodison for the first time in a league game and left the stadium with the man of the match award.

He even struck the bar with a late header in the 1-1 draw with Blackburn.

And his manager was also happy with the way the youngster has stepped into such a crucial role in the side.

"Duffy has played really well in the games," Moyes told evertontv. "He has been steady and looked mature in the games he has played.

"It is not easy for a young centre-half to play in the Premier League and we have tried to keep his game steady and simple and he has done well."

Duffy's performance was one of few positives for Moyes after the 1-1 draw with Blackburn, with the manager also admitting he thought both goals could potentially have been ruled out.

He explained succinctly: "There are no easy games but we're not playing well enough to make things easier for ourselves.

"I think ours was a handball and theirs was a free kick."