'Won't recognise me' - Former Leeds United man's blunt Elland Road admission ahead of return with Portsmouth
A familiar face will be back at Elland Road when Leeds United host Portsmouth on Saturday.
Conor Shaughnessy isn’t expecting much fanfare upon his return to Elland Road this weekend but the Portsmouth defender is hoping to leave an impression on old club Leeds United.
Shaughnessy is with his third club in as many years since leaving Leeds permanently in 2021, having joined Portsmouth as a free agent to aid their League One promotion push last summer. And even he wouldn’t have predicted the direct impact he’d have, firing home a late header in a 3-2 win over Barnsley to ensure the title went to Fratton Park.
That goal, and the performances that preceded it, earned the defender a three-year contract last month and he kicks off that long-term commitment with a trip to former club Leeds, where he made just 15 appearances during a four-year spell in and around the first-team - via a couple of loan spells. Now 28-years-old, Shaughnessy is barely expecting those inside Elland Road to notice him come kick-off but insists he is excited about the prospect of returning to his old stomping ground nonetheless.
“Pompey was the right place, right time, having a manager who suits your style of play,” Shaughnessy told The News ahead of his return to Elland Road. “How we played last season was perfect for me in that position, it was probably something I had been waiting on for a long time.
“When I played a few games at Leeds, I showed that a bit, then had a few loans, chopped and changed managers, different clubs, different positions. Their fans probably won’t recognise me now, I don’t think I played enough games for them. A lot has happened in between when I played for them and now.
“I can’t imagine I will be remembered there, but it’s an exciting one for me to go back, I’ve wanted to return for a long time, I haven’t been there since I left. And I definitely go back in the best form of my career, with that consistency with the position and a manager who trusts me.”
Shaughnessy quickly became one of the first names on the team sheet at Portsmouth last season and is expected to keep his spot come Saturday, but faces a huge step up in quality of opposition. The former Republic of Ireland youth international could be due to go directly up against one of the current breakout players in West Yorkshire, with Mateo Joseph in line to start after scoring four times in an impressive pre-season.
Daniel Farke somewhat surprised himself in revealing that there is not a single fitness issue among the squad, with every player fit and available for selection. Pompey, meanwhile, do have their fair share of injury concerns with summer signing Josh Murphy a major doubt after picking up a knock in pre-season.
Head coach John Mousinho has also seen Tom McIntyre and Jacob Farrell pick up injuries in recent weeks, with both unavailable going into the weekend. Last season’s top goalscorer Colby Bishop looks set to miss a large portion of the season after medical checks flagged an issue with his heart that requires immediate surgery.