Duffy, who has been without a club since his Carrow Road contract expired this summer, has signed a two-month deal with the Rams following a successful fortnight-long trial.

The move comes amid a defensive injury crisis at Pride Park. Boss John Eustace is without six first-team defenders, including three centre-backs: Eiran Cashin, Sondre Langas and Matt Clarke.

He becomes the club’s second defensive recruit in recent weeks, following Jack Robinson’s arrival.

Duffy could make his debut as soon as this weekend when Derby travel to The Den to take on Alex Neil’s Millwall.

Derby County boss John Eustace is currently without six first-team defenders due to injury (Image: PA)

He will then have the small matter of facing his former club on Tuesday, with Philippe Clement’s men visiting Pride Park.

Reflecting on the decision to let the Irishman leave in April, Clement admitted that the emergence of younger players played a key role.

“It has to do also with the evolution of other players. So Ruairi stepped up big time this season. Jose (Cordoba) was really constantly performing well. Harry (Darling) also stepped up the last couple of months. Jakov (Medic) did well. Shane is getting older; all these guys are younger, so one moment you need to choose for youth.

"I've been in that moment of my career, also in the past. It’s a logical one, and we respect everything that Shane has done for this club, and we wish him all the best for his next challenge. And I’m sure that he wants to continue playing football. He really loves football, so it's going to be a new challenge for him.”

Duffy made 91 appearances for the Canaries during his three years in Norfolk, scoring five goals after joining from Brighton & Hove Albion on a free transfer in June 2023.

The 34-year-old became a mainstay during his first season in yellow and green under David Wagner, helping City reach the Championship play-offs.

He continued to feature regularly under Johannes Hoff Thorup in 2024/25, missing just one league game throughout the campaign.

However, last term proved much more difficult for the 61-cap Republic of Ireland international, with injuries and the emergence of other players limiting him to just four appearances.

Duffy now begins a fresh challenge at Derby under Eustace, whom he knows from the national team setup. The 47-year-old previously served as an assistant to former Ireland manager Stephen Kenny.

Eustace will hope Duffy can add some much-needed experience to his side after a difficult start to the season. The Rams currently sit 23rd in the Championship, having won just one of their opening 12 games.

The move takes the defender to the tenth club of his professional career. He has previously represented Everton, Burnley, Scunthorpe United, Yeovil Town, Blackburn Rovers, Brighton, Celtic, Fulham and Norwich City.