Macclesfield FC have signed a professional player all the way from Football League Two.

The Silkmen have signed midfielder Mark Duffy from Merseyside Club Tranmere Rovers.

His breadth of professional experience will help our town's new football club push for promotion, in a time where some fans think the right line-up for games has not been picked.

One would be mistaken to think that the Liverpool-born 36-year-old was about to wind down his career with nearby Tranmere, as he has switched to join the exciting Macclesfield FC project.

Macc is Duffy's 15th - and possibly final - club. He has won three competitive trophies and two individual trophies in his career.

A recent career highlight was finishing second in the 2018-19 EFL Championship, which saw him earn promotion as runners-up with the Sheffield United side that impressed in the Premier League the following season.

Mark drops five tiers in the football pyramid to join the club established by Macclesfield's Rob Smethurst and Robbie Savage.

The five-foot-nine outfield player joins seasoned EFL pros Neil Danns and Alex Bruce in the Macclesfield FC squad.

In a statement, Macclesfield FC said:

"[We] are delighted to confirm that after fighting off competition from a wealth of higher division teams, we have completed the signing of former Championship and Eredivisie midfielder Mark Duffy.

"The Englishman arrives at the Leasing.com Stadium ahead of tomorrow afternoon's North West Counties Football League Premier Division clash against Wythenshawe Town and will be available for selection subject to Football Association and NWCFL ratification.

"Graduating from the youth setup at Liverpool, Mark went on to gain valuable experience in the non-league game, before signing for Morecambe in 2009.

Mark soon became one of the most sought-after prospects in the lower divisions and would ultimately sign for Championship Side Scunthorpe United for an undisclosed fee in 2011.

"After making over one hundred appearances for The Iron, Mark enjoyed a season at Doncaster Rovers before signing a two-and-a-half-year contract at Birmingham City back in 2014.

"Loan spells at Chesterfield and Burton Albion followed, before Mark joined Sheffield United in the summer of 2016.

"Duffy won promotion from League One for a second successive year in 2017, and was also named in the PFA Team of the Year for a second time.

"Mark was converted to an attacking midfield role under the management of Chris Wilder as The Blades had a solid return to the Championship finishing in 10th place.

"Signing a new contract with The Blades in January 2018, Duffy scored six goals in thirty-eight matches as the team finished runner-up and returned to the Premier League.

"Duffy then completed loan moves to Stoke City and Eredivisie side ADO Den Haag, before representing Fleetwood Town and most recently, Tranmere Rovers."

In a Facebook Live post with Robbie Savage and Macclesfield FC Communications Manager Bob Trafford, Duffy's signing was praised.

"We're absolutely thrilled to get Mark Duffy in the squad," Robbie Savage said.

"This is the best signing at the North West Counties League stage that ever has been.

"It is the greatest reaction we've had to signing a player so far. We can't believe we've got a player of this quality to the football club.

"Mark will bring great experience to the team. He'll be with us at the end of the season, and if we get promoted the next season.

"Mark's come here for the project, it wasn't about money because other teams would've offered him more money."

Mark Duffy is hoping to learn coaching skills at the club, as he hangs up his professional boots and goes semi-pro with The Silkmen.

You can follow Macc's latest signing here.

The Silks' last outing was a 1-0 loss against Prestwich Heys. You can watch the away defeat here.

You can buy tickets for Macc's next game here.

See also: Test your knowledge in our ultimate Macclesfield football quiz

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