"Nobody knew what to expect" - Portsmouth FC: Unknown recruit praised, he's a "legend" now | OneFootball

FLW's Portsmouth fan pundit has picked which signing managed to exceed expectations at the club

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Portsmouth have earned their place back in the Championship after winning the League One title last season.

Pompey spent seven campaigns back in the third division before clinching the title in 2024 with 97 points.

John Mousinho has earned a lot of praise for his work as manager in bringing the club back to the second tier, but there have been several key players involved as well.

The Portsmouth squad has many players that arrived and performed above expectations compared to when they signed.

These players will now need to step up yet again as the Hampshire outfit looks to secure their place in the Championship beyond one season.

Conor Shaughnessy signing verdict

When asked which player the club signed to little fanfare that turned into a great signing, FLW’s Portsmouth fan pundit Miltos Ioannidis suggested Conor Shaughnessy.

He claimed that expectations were quite low for the 28-year-old when he arrived as a free agent in 2023, but that he was a crucial part of their promotion to the Championship.

“The player that came directly to my head is Conor Shaughnessy,” Ioannidis told Football League World.

“He is just the perfect example of a player that arrived with very minimal expectation from the entire fanbase, because most fans didn’t even know who Shaughnessy was until the moment he joined.

“And even if you told me back then that he would go on to have the season that he did, undoubtedly one of the crucial members of that League One winning team, I don’t know if I’d believe you at first.

“Because when Shaughnessy arrived he was already 27-years-old, he was coming on a free from Burton Albion, where he was there for two years.

“I don’t think anyone could have predicted how well this transfer was going to go, so I think he is just up the top of that list of players that came to the club.

“Nobody really knew what to expect from him, but he turned out to be an absolute legend.”

Conor Shaugnessy’s impact at Portsmouth

The defender made 45 appearances for Portsmouth in League One last season following his arrival that summer.

He contributed four goals and two assists, with the team clinching the title by five points ahead of Derby County.

Injuries have impacted the start to his season, featuring just twice in the league so far this campaign.

Supporters will be hoping that he can put these issues behind him soon, with the Irishman set to be absent for the next four to six weeks with a calf issue, according to The News.

Portsmouth will need Shaughnessy back to his best to help relegation fight

Portsmouth find themselves in a scrap at the bottom of the Championship table so far this season, so will be hoping Shaughnessy makes a swift and successful recovery.

He was crucial to their promotion last year, and is being missed by the team at the minute.

Mousinho’s side are winless in their opening nine, but have earned five draws, so better defensive solidity will be needed to start improving results.