Michael Duff (footballer)

Michael Duff

Duff as manager of Barnsley in 2022
Personal information
Full name	Michael James Duff[1]
Date of birth	(1978-01-11) 11 January 1978 (age 46)[1]
Place of birth	Belfast, Northern Ireland
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[1]
Position(s)	Centre-back[2]
Team information
Current team	Huddersfield Town (Head Coach)
Youth career
1995–1996	Carterton Town
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1996–2004	Cheltenham Town	300	(15)
1996–1997	→ Cirencester Town (loan)
2004–2016	Burnley	342	(7)
Total		642	(22)
International career
2003	Northern Ireland B	2	(1)
2002–2012	Northern Ireland	24	(0)
Managerial career
2016–2018	Burnley (youth)
2018–2022	Cheltenham Town
2022–2023	Barnsley
2023	Swansea City
2024–	Huddersfield Town
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Michael James Duff (born 11 January 1978) is a Northern Irish professional football manager and former player. He is the current manager of League One club Huddersfield Town.

In a professional playing career spanning from 1996 to 2016, in which he made over 600 appearances, Duff played as a defender for Cheltenham Town, Cirencester Town (on loan) and Burnley, winning three Premier League promotions with the latter. He played in each of the top eight tiers of English football in ascending order. At international level, Duff earned 24 caps for Northern Ireland.

After retiring as a player, Duff coached at Burnley's academy before becoming manager of Cheltenham Town in 2018. In 2021, he led Cheltenham to their first automatic promotion from League Two as champions. He was appointed head coach of Barnsley in 2022, leading them to the League One play-off final in his first season. One month later, Duff was named head coach of Swansea City before being dismissed in December 2023.