Recent reports have discovered a series of homophobic tweets from the account of Shane Duffy. Duffy, a Premiere League footballer who currently plays for Brighton and Hove Albion, has also represented Ireland 18 times at various matches.

In the series of uncovered tweets, which he posted between 2011 and 2012, he used terms such as ‘faggot boy’, ‘gay boy’ and ‘puff’, as well as laying into Rylan Clark-Neal who was appearing on ‘The X-Factor’ at the time.

In one of the tweets, he commented, “Give James a dead arm for me the faggot. Still thinks he’s Ronaldo.” While in another he warned a friend, “Don’t be late faggot boy”.

This attitude proved to be more than a one off, other tweets stating, (sic) “Gayboy come the town and mee us up”, while slagging someone else off with, “Tell him he’s a puff and go get his eyebrows waxed the girl”

With current rumours circulating he is in the early stages of a fling with Katie Price, he may be in for a surprise if she hears how he spoke of her celebrity friend, Rylan Clark-Neal. In a series of tweets posted around the time Rylan appeared as a contestant on ‘The X Factor’, he referred to him as a “thing” and “man/whatever”.

He blasted, (sic) “Rylan u aboustle waste of talent! I hate u more than life. How ur on tv is a joke! I actually hate you!” While that may be forgivable as just a passionate television viewer, his views came to the fore once again. “Seriously Rylan get off my screen! I actually hate this man/whatever he is.”(sic) “X factor is a shambles! How that thing Rylan wernt in the bottom 2 I have no idea”.

While one comment may be regarded as a slip, the series of similar slurs definitely imply a tendency for this kind of behaviour. Since news of the comments broke, the tweets have since disappeared from Shane Duffy’s Twitter account. He has yet to make a comment on the situation.

Duffy isn’t the first celebrity to be blasted for past homophobic behaviour, with Grime artist Stormzy being forced to apologise for historic tweets.