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Is that a stick of Brighton rock?

Brighton footie ace Shane Duffy caught cheating after pictures of him naked in another girl’s bed were posted on social media

Mum-of-one Daniella Francesca was shocked to be branded a 'whore' by Duffy's long term partner after he claimed he was single when they met in a nightclub

A FOOTIE star is at the centre of a bust-up after a picture of him naked in a woman’s bed was posted online — and seen by his girlfriend.

Shocked Daniella Francesca was called a “whore and a liar” by Brighton defender Shane Duffy’s partner Catherine Carlin.

 Love-rat Shane Duffy was caught cheating when pictures of him naked appeared on social media
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Love-rat Shane Duffy was caught cheating when pictures of him naked appeared on social media

Daniella had posted a photo of the naked ex-Everton ace, 25, with the caption: “When Shane Duffy doesn’t want to go home.”

The Republic of Ireland international spotted the incriminating photo hours later and begged her to take it down.

But Catherine — the mother of his two children — had already spotted it and unleashed a torrent of abuse.

 Daniella Francesca took the photos as the defender slept naked in her bed
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Daniella Francesca took the photos as the defender slept naked in her bedCredit: Not known refer to copyright holder

Daniella, 29, who has a six-year-old daughter, told The Sun on Sunday: “I asked Shane several times if he was single and he assured me that he was.

"He told me he had two kids. He showed me pictures of the children but there was no mention of a girlfriend or their mother.”

The pair met in Brighton’s Bar 32 nightclub last Sunday where Duffy and pals were celebrating his club’s promotion to the Premier League.

 Daniella met Duffy in a bar in Brighton, but says she didn't know who he was or that he was in a relationship
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Daniella met Duffy in a bar in Brighton, but says she didn't know who he was or that he was in a relationship

Daniella said Duffy was taken aback by the fact she did not know who he was. She revealed: “I was with a group of pals for my mate’s 30th birthday. We were on a big table and then some blokes came and sat down next to us.

“Shane was there with lots of his Irish friends. They had a lot of drinks and were having a great time.

“I was sitting next to Shane and we were talking. I asked him what he does for a living. He said, ‘I’m Shane Duffy’ and paused. I looked at him blankly.

 Francesca claimed she and Duffy arranged to go home together after the club closed at 3am
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Francesca claimed she and Duffy arranged to go home together after the club closed at 3amCredit: Rex Features

“He then made me get my phone out and put his name into Google. He was looking at me in disbelief that I didn’t know who he was.

“He took my phone, took a few selfies of us, and captioned them with his name on and made it my Snapchat story.”

Daniella said Duffy, who was drinking champagne and Grey Goose vodka, then sent her secret messages on Snapchat and arranged to go home with her at 3am.

The beautician added: “In the taxi Shane was kissing and cuddling me again.

 Shane Duffy and girlfriend Catherine Carlin have two children together
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Shane Duffy and girlfriend Catherine Carlin have two children together

“He asked if I had a swimming pool. I was laughing because of course I don’t.”

Duffy stayed the night at Daniella’s house, but she began to panic in the morning when she could not wake him.

She said: “People were ringing his phone. In the end I answered it. A man was frantically saying, ‘Wake him up, wake him up’.

“He wanted me to go and get a bucket of water and throw it over him.”

It was while Duffy was still snoozing that she took photos of them together and posted one on social media, while keeping other naked snaps on her phone.

 Daniella Francesca was branded a 'whore' and a 'liar' by the Brighton defender's long-term partner Catherine Carlin
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Daniella Francesca was branded a 'whore' and a 'liar' by the Brighton defender's long-term partner Catherine Carlin

The footballer was finally roused around 11am and arranged to leave by taxi.

But later he made contact with Daniella, begging her to remove the picture and to help him to cover his tracks.

At 7.33pm he wrote: “Hi hope your okay, you need to do me a favour and take that post down, my girlfriend has been sent it and thinks something has happened, thanks.”

Startled Daniella replied pointing out he had said he was single.

But she added: “Tell me what you’d like me to reply, if anything at all.”

 Duffy later texted Daniella and asked her to delete the photo from her social media accounts, fearing Catherine would see it
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Duffy later texted Daniella and asked her to delete the photo from her social media accounts, fearing Catherine would see itCredit: PA:Press Association

Duffy said: “Just that nothing happened please thanks.”

Daniella, of Worthing, West Sussex, removed her post from social media — but it had already received 60 likes and 50 comments from her pals.

Then at 9.19pm on Monday Duffy’s partner Catherine sent her a message.

She asked: “Something you want to tell me?” Daniella replied that she had “nothing at all” before the player’s girlfriend sent her the original photo with: “Nothing?”

Daniella sent Duffy a snap of the exchange with his partner of five years — and asked him what she should say next.

Duffy replied: “Just that it was a house party and I fell asleep.”

 When a furious Catherine messaged Daniella, Duffy allegedly asked her to lie for him and pretend he fell asleep at a house party
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When a furious Catherine messaged Daniella, Duffy allegedly asked her to lie for him and pretend he fell asleep at a house partyCredit: Sportsfile

But when Daniella did as he said, Catherine replied: “He fell asleep with his top off so you decided to lay beside it and put them up on social media?”

Daniella continued to try to help Duffy out by saying: “I apologise, I was clueless as to who he even was until one of the guys said.

“I didn’t know anything abut him/his life so apologies I’ve removed it.”

But again Catherine continued, adding: “Clearly you did because you wrote a caption about how he wouldn’t go home? So why has he no top on? Why are you laying beside him?”

 Duffy later blocked Daniella from messaging him on Snapchat, although she continued to try to lie for him
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Duffy later blocked Daniella from messaging him on Snapchat, although she continued to try to lie for himCredit: Sportsfile

In another message, she demanded to know: “How did he end up in your bed?”

And when Daniella stopped replying, Catherine bombarded her with abuse.

She wrote: “Your a f***ing liar and if you think I believe you your deluded.

“I just hope you know that we’ve got two kids together and you’ve just f***ed up their family you whore!

“You’d think woman to woman you’d have the decency to be honest!”

Distraught Daniella told The Sun on Sunday: “I had no idea he had this secret family and the last thing I would ever do is wreck a home.

“I agreed to take the post down because it was stupid and I wasn’t thinking.

“I played along with Shane and did my best to save his bacon, lying for him about what happened.

“I knew at this point that he had blocked me from contacting him again via Snapchat. It wasn’t very nice of him to block me, and showed he didn’t care for me at all, but I still tried to help him out.”

Duffy took his two young children by Catherine on to the pitch after Brighton’s last home game.

He also made headlines in March when he praised Martin McGuinness. After the former IRA chief’s death, he went on Twitter to hail him a “true hero”.

 Daniella branded Duffy 'terribly arrogant' but claimed she thought she could trust him
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Daniella branded Duffy 'terribly arrogant' but claimed she thought she could trust himCredit: Sportsfile

It caused anger among some fans in Brighton, which was the scene of the IRA hotel bombing in 1984 that killed five people.

Duffy started his career at Everton and had loan spells at Burnley, Scunthorpe and Yeovil before joining Blackburn and then Brighton.

The Derry-born defender played internationally for Northern Ireland from under 16 up to ‘B’ level before switching allegiance to the Republic in 2014.

Daniella said: “Shane is terribly arrogant. I was attracted to him. We’d had a few drinks and I thought I could trust him.”