Shane Duffy believes the old-fashioned defender is a dying breed.

But he was pleased to hear both he and Lewis Dunk had received praise from former Liverpool and England centre-back Jamie Carragher.

Carragher recently spoke about Dunk and Duffy and his admiration for them. He said: “I love him (Duffy), and I always get them mixed up, Dunk and Duffy, I think it’s just the same person, the same thing, the way they defend, throw their bodies on the line.

“But I love watching them play. They’re almost like a throwback, aren’t they?”

Duffy and Dunk were both mainstays in the Albion defence and played together in 30 of Albion’s 38 Premier League games last season.

The Irish centre-back feels there are not many old-school defenders in the game these days.

He said: “It is probably a dying art in the game, where you don’t really get as many old-school centre halves in the game, that’s why he said it.

“But, as I say with someone like Jamie you have got to take his praise and take confidence from it as he was one of the best in the game.

“He can probably see himself in us, maybe not as high a level as he was.

“But the way he played as well he wore his heart on his sleeve and that is sort of the way we play.

“We have got to keep building on it and obviously try and progress the other side of the game which I have been trying to do and if I put both of them together hopefully I can keep improving.”

The “old-fashioned” defenders have a new challenge this season, of course.

Under new manager Graham Potter, Duffy has been operating in a back three and is encouraged to bring the ball out and play.

The centre-half described how he wants to try and improve on the ball and the attacking side of his game.

He said: “That is what everyone wants to do, progress your game as much as possible, and I know I can do the other side.

“It’s just the on-the-ball work and maybe playing higher up the pitch, which I haven’t done for a few years.

“Hopefully I can take that on, improve on that and then I can turn into a better player than I am.

“It’s only going to benefit me if I can adapt to it quickly.

“I’m excited for the challenge, firstly to keep my name on the team-sheet and then to see where it takes me.

“If it can help me at national level then good as that is a different level than with Brighton.

“I’m focusing on Brighton at the minute really, where I’m just trying to keep in the team and take on board what the manager is trying to say to me and trying to learn.

“We are doing a lot in training I’m trying to adapt to that and do that in that back three.”

This season Duffy will face plenty of competition to start in either a back three or back four depending on the formation Albion play from the likes of Dunk, Dan Burn, summer signing Adam Webster and Leon Balogun.

However the Irishman is relishing the competition.

He said: “There is very good competition for places. It is only going to be good for all of us, to push us and eventually that is best for the team.

“Everyone is pushing each other we are all trying to play and we have got five top centre halves here so if you are not on your game there is another player here to come in.

“The competition is good and you can’t take your eye off the ball as maybe in the past it was a bit more that you could.”

Albion have their first home game in the Premier League this season when they host West Ham United this afternoon.

The Hammers go into the game off the back of a 5-0 defeat on the opening day to Manchester City but Duffy is under no illusions of how tough it is going to be.

He said: “I don’t think there was any disrespect to West Ham. Anyone who plays Manchester City it is quite tough so I wouldn’t really take it like that.

“It was a tough start for them. We had City a couple of years ago early on so we know how tough it is.

“But they are a good team, they have made good signings and they are going to have a good season.

“It’s going to be a tough game we are full of confidence from last weekend and they have had a bit of a bad start.

“But I wouldn’t look down on them for last week. We have just got to worry about us, keep building on it and if we can get two wins out of two it would be a great start.”

Duffy will be up against Declan Rice, a midfielder he played with for Republic of Ireland briefly before the West Ham man switched allegiance to England.

Despite this, Duffy says him and Rice remain in touch.

He said: “I’m still close to Declan and it’s one that we are both excited about.

“He is a top player and I’m delighted to see how he has progressed in his career.

“He came through Ireland, of course, but then he switched to play for England but it will be good to see him again. So I hope does well.”

Duffy is also looking forward to plenty of international action with Ireland over the coming months with the small matter of Euro 2020 on the cards for them. The centre-half spoke about how important their next qualifier against Switzerland at home will be.

He said: “Of course we had a really good start to the group. We have got a huge game against Switzerland and if we beat them then at home it will put a statement down it’s one that we look forward to.

“If we get a few good results here at Brighton and then going into the international break it would be a great start to the season.”