Yeovil Town boss Gary Johnson believes Shane Duffy's time on-loan at the Championship club could have boosted his senior international prospects.

The 22-year-old has been a mainstay in the Yeovil side since moving on a temporary basis in August and has captained the Republic of Ireland's under-21 side. Senior manager Martin O'Neill has been to watch him play recently and Johnson believes that is down to a regular dose of first-team football with the Glovers.

He said: "Let's say Shane went back after a month - will he have been captain of the under-21s? Will he have had Martin O'Neill watch him play and have a great game against Sheffield Wednesday?

"I think it's really helped him in his career and I am sure it has done with a couple of others. Does Martin O'Neill see him as an international player while he's still in the under-21s?

"Now, having seen him against the likes of Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United, he can make a better judgement."

In contrast, Duffy's Everton team-mate John Lundstram recently returned to the Blues after failing to break into the Yeovil side. Johnson admits that it was a mutual agreement for Lundstram to head back north - but believes the midfielder would have been better off sticking it out at Haigh Park.

He continued: "I had a chat with Roberto Martinez and we agreed mutually that he would go back and get games.

"He had 16 games here but I think the ones that are Yeovilified decide to stick it out and fight for a place.

"I won't say he wasn't, but it's when you get home and your parents say 'not playing again this week?', that's when it gets hard.

"Anyone who will definitely be at a Premier League club, they are going to have competition their whole careers.

"But I also understand when a lad hasn't played for a couple of weeks and he wants to play. He loves playing football and sometimes they don't want to hang around particularly long when there are games he could get back at Everton in the under-21s.

"John is one that likes playing football and some people don't like training all week and not having something at the end of it.

"We thank him, but he's moved on, we've moved on and we wish him well for the rest of his career."

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