"Incredible" - Richard Hughes' signing named as one of Portsmouth's best bargains | OneFootball

FLW's Portsmouth fan pundit outlines Conor Shaughnessy as the biggest bargain in the club's recent history.

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…

Conor Shaughnessy has worked his way back up the EFL after dropping down it after starting with Leeds United, and under John Mousinho at Portsmouth, the centre-back won the League One title and was named in the Team of the Season.

He entered Portsmouth folklore after scoring the goal that secured promotion from League One against Barnsley, after Pompey fought back from 2-1 down late on to win 3-2, with Shaughnessy heading in the winner in the 89th minute from a corner.

Portsmouth sealed their spot in this season's Championship with that win, but it also won them the title in the process, in a fantastic achievement for Mousinho's side after battling with plenty of injuries last season, particularly in their back line. That saw Shaughnessy work his way into the side and stay there.

He was not the only hero of their promotion, but winning the Player of the Season award for the club after signing on a free transfer somewhat tells its only story. Shaughnessy was the foundation in a Mousinho side that were the dominant force in the third tier last season.

Conor Shaughnessy's Portsmouth impact under John Mousinho

Shaughnessy has been a vital member of the group following a summer move from Burton Albion last year, although it's possible that his role became more important after long-term injuries to the likes of Regan Poole and Tom McIntyre.

He scored three last-minute winners in the process of their title-winning campaign and is set to be the starting central defender this season as they aim to survive and consolidate in their first season back at second-tier level in 12 years.

FLW’s Portsmouth fan pundit Miltos Ioannidis is full of praise for the 27-year-old and believes that Shaughnessy, who joined on a free transfer, is the best bargain signing that they have made in recent memory.

He said: "There have been plenty of bargain deals over the past couple of seasons and there is no denying that the arrival of Richard Hughes and John Mousinho has a part to play in that.

"Especially last season, we had an abundance of players that signed and had huge impacts and managed to get the team over the line on numerous occasions.

"Having said that, the one transfer that simply cannot be overlooked and forgotten about is the free transfer of our promotion hero on that night against Barnsley, Conor Shaughnessy. "When he arrived, he was tipped with low-to-minimal expectations, and most people probably didn't know who he was prior to him joining. "It's fair to say that he has turned out to be an incredible signing, establishing himself as the orchestrator in the heart of our defence. "Initially, in what looked to be a partnership for the ages with Regan Poole. I can't wait to see more of that soon. "Then, after Regan's injury, when Shaughnessy was most needed, he pencilled down his name in Pompey folklore with all his famous last minute winners. "Of course, the promotion-winning goal that took us up to the Championship. A goal which I am pretty sure the whole of Greece heard me celebrate.

"As far as bargains go, Shaughnessy is right up there. What a flipping bargain!"

The 27-year-old went on loan from Leeds to Hearts, Burton Albion, and Mansfield Town. Shaughnessy hasn’t been seen at Elland Road since 2021 and first moved to Rochdale to get his career back on track where it looked like he may be lost to the lower reaches of the EFL.

Despite never impressing for Leeds outside of a moment or two of quality and the same being fairly true of his spell with Burton as well, he evidently did enough for League One rivals Pompey to pick him up on a free in the process, proving to be an inspired decision.

Shaughnessy has turned out to be the most important part of a defensive unit, which boasted the joint-best defence in the league, while playing a vital role in their 18 clean sheets as well.

Some players move down the leagues in order to eventually move back up, but Shaughnessy looks to have developed exceptionally well in the third tier under Mousinho's guidance, and got the better of inconsistency and constant transfers, to find a home in the Portsmouth back line.