Jonathan Tuffey

Jonathan Tuffey (born 20 January 1987 in Banbridge, Northern Ireland) is a Northern Irish footballer and manager who plays as a goalkeeper for NIFL Premiership side Crusaders and is manager of Women's Premiership side Crusaders Strikers. He has also appeared for the Northern Ireland national football team.

Tuffey started his career at Championship side Coventry City, however he failed to make a breakthrough into the first team. He then joined the then Scottish First Division team Partick Thistle in 2006, replacing the legendary Kenny Arthur. Following a successful four years at Firhill, Tuffey signed for SPL side Inverness Caley Thistle and then St Johnstone. Tuffey then returned to Northern Ireland to sign for Linfield, where he played for two years before transferring to Glenavon. On 31 January 2021, it was confirmed that Tuffey had signed on transfer deadline day for Crusaders.

Club career
Tuffey started his career in 2003 at English club Coventry City, brought to the club by scout Willie McKeown. He progressed his way through the academy system with the Sky Blues but failed to make a first-team appearance. Tuffey was third choice at Coventry but was a near ever-present for the reserves.

Tuffey signed for Scottish club Partick Thistle in May 2006. He made his debut for Partick Thistle in September 2006 in a 2–1 win against Hamilton Academical. In the very next game he conceded six goals in a 6–0 defeat to Gretna. He would go on to make 14 more appearances and keeping four clean sheets.

By the 2007–08 season, and with Thistle under new management, Tuffey had become Thistle's first-choice goalkeeper. In March 2008 he won the First Division player of the month award, in a month in which Thistle were unbeaten, including a 1–1 draw away to Rangers. He finished the 2007–08 season with 34 appearances. During the 2008–09 season Tuffey started all 36 league games for Partick Thistle and kept 14 clean sheets. He finished the 2009–10 season with 38 appearances.

Tuffey turned down a new contract with Partick, signing with Inverness prior to the 2010–11 season. He struggled to become 1st choice during his time at ICT.

He left Inverness at the end of the 2011–12 season. His last game for the club was in a 2–0 win over Hibs, although he was an unused substitute. He signed for St Johnstone shortly after leaving Inverness.

Having made only one appearance for St Johnstone, he was released in June 2013 and subsequently signed for Northern Irish side Linfield.

Upon his release by Linfield, Tuffey joined fellow NIFL Premiership side Glenavon on a two-year deal. Tuffey made his official debut for the side in a Europa League qualifier in which Glenavon lost 3–0 away to FC Shakhtyor Soligorsk and lost subsequently 5–1 on aggregate. Tuffey has since replaced James McGrath as Glenavon's first choice goalkeeper and won the Glenavon player of the month award for August 2015. On 23 January 2021, Glenavon Manager Gary Hamilton told the club's website that Tuffey had turned down the offer of a new contract, stating, "He's looking for something else in his career, he's looking for a new challenge."

On 31 January 2021, on transfer deadline day, Tuffey signed for Crusaders on a three-and-a-half-year contract. On 7 May 2022 in the 2022 Irish Cup final, Tuffey assisted a last-minute equaliser for Josh Robinson to force extra-time, in which Crusaders scored a last-minute winner to win the trophy.

Under-21s
Tuffey received 13 caps and during 2007 and 2008 he featured as the captain of the Northern Ireland under-21 team on several occasions. On 1 June 2007, Northern Ireland earned a 1–0 in their opening European Championship qualifier in Moldova. He produced three saves before half-time to keep his team ahead.

Northern Ireland
Tuffey gained his first full cap on 19 November 2008 in a 2–0 defeat to Hungary. In gaining his first full international cap, Tuffey became the 28th player to be capped for his country while playing for Partick Thistle and became the sixth Partick Thistle player to be capped by a country other than Scotland, and the first since Adrian Madaschi who played four times for Australia in the summer of 2004. After the game, he said "It was fantastic, it was something that I have dreamed about since I was a boy. It's been a long journey to get here but now that the cap has come I'm over the moon."

He gained his second full cap and first start on 6 June 2009 in the 3–0 defeat to Italy. He produced a number of saves including a Giampaolo Pazzini penalty.

His third cap came in the 1–1 friendly draw against Israel. Tuffey came on at half time replacing Maik Taylor and keeping a clean sheet in the second half, which included a block with his left leg in the 80th minute from a Roberto Collauti turn and shot.

Tuffey started for Northern Ireland in an international friendly against Morocco on 17 November 2010 in which he kept a clean sheet in the first half before being replaced at half time. He then played in the 2011 Nations Cup match against Scotland on 9 February 2011, a 3–0 defeat for Northern Ireland.

Coaching career
Tuffey has been manager of Women's Premiership side Crusaders Strikers since August 2021, having previously served as goalkeeping coach.

Honours
Glenavon
 * Irish Cup: 2015–16

Crusaders
 * Irish Cup: 2021–22, 2022–23
 * NIFL Charity Shield: 2022

Individual
 * Scottish First Division Player of the Month: March 2008