Conor Glynn Shaughnessy (born 30 June 1996) is an Irish professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who plays as a
central defender
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Defenders fall into four main categories: centre-backs, full-backs, sweepers ...
for club
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
.
He is also able to operate as a
central midfielder
In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...
. He has represented the
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland Men's national football team () represents the Republic of Ireland in men's international Association football, football. It is governed by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI).
The team made their debut at the Ir ...
at U15 through to U21 level.
Club career
Reading
Shaughnessy started his career at English club
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...
, joining in 2012 after a successful trial and signing his first professional contract in the summer of 2013. He was a regular for the Reading U18 and U21 teams; however, he never played competitively for the club and was released in May 2016.
Leeds United
Following a successful trial, Shaughnessy was given a one-year contract with the Leeds United development squad in September 2016. He did not make any first team appearances during the 2016-2017 season. His contract was extended by a year in May 2017, and he made his professional debut in a 3–2 away victory over
Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers Football Club ( ) is a professional association football, football club based in Horwich, Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the Englis ...
on 6 August 2017, replacing injured teammate Matthew Pennington at centre back in the 66th minute and promptly giving away a penalty. He made his first start in the following game, on 9 August 2017 in a 4–1 League Cup victory against
Port Vale
Port Vale Football Club are a professional football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England, which compete in , the third tier of the English football league system. Vale are named after the valley of ports on the Trent and Mersey Canal ...
at
Elland Road
Elland Road, or Elland Road Stadium, is a football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which has been the Home (sports), home of Leeds United F.C., Leeds United since the club's formation in 1919. The stadium is the List of foot ...
, and first League start six days later against
Fulham
Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Chelsea ...
. He signed a new four-year contract with Leeds the following month. On 7 January 2018, Shaughnessy scored an own goal in Leeds' 2–1 shock defeat to Newport County in the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
.
Shaughnessy picked up a serious ankle injury when he started in Leeds' 0–0 draw against
Hull City
Hull City Association Football Club is a professional association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. They compete in the , the second level of the English football league system. They play their home ...
on 30 January 2018, with head coach Thomas Christiansen revealing Shaughnessy could spend several weeks/months out injured. The injury ultimately ruled Shaughnessy out for the remainder of the season.
On 14 August 2018, Shaughnessy returned to a match-day squad for the first time, when he was named on the bench for Leeds in the
EFL Cup
The English Football League Cup, often referred to as the League Cup and currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout competition in men's domestic football in England.
Orga ...
fixture against
Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers Football Club ( ) is a professional association football, football club based in Horwich, Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the Englis ...
. He made his first appearance after injury when he started against
Preston North End
Preston North End Football Club, commonly referred to as Preston, North End or PNE, is a professional association football club in Preston, Lancashire, England. They currently play in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English footbal ...
on 28 August 2018. The return to form — and from injury — of Leeds' back line limited Shaughnessy's playing time with the first team, but an interview in September 2018 indicated that Head Coach
Marcelo Bielsa
Marcelo Alberto Bielsa Caldera (, nicknamed ''El Loco Bielsa'' , meaning 'The Madman Bielsa'; born 21 July 1955) is an Argentine professional Association football, football manager who is the current manager of the Uruguay national football team ...
had firm plans for the youngster in the 2018-19 campaign and beyond.
Hearts loan
On 7 January 2019, Shaughnessy joined Hearts on a six-month loan deal. He made his debut on 20 January starting for Hearts in a 1–0 win against Livingston in the Scottish FA Cup, before making his league debut on 23 January in the SPL against
Dundee
Dundee (; ; or , ) is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, fourth-largest city in Scotland. The mid-year population estimate for the locality was . It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firt ...
.
On 25 May 2019, Shaughnessy received a 2018–19 Scottish Cup runners-up medal after being named on the bench for the
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,Hampden Park
Hampden Park ( ; Scottish Gaelic: ''Pàirc Hampden'') is a association football, football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland, which is the national stadium of football in Scotland and home of the Scotland national football ...
after losing 2–1 in the final against
Celtic
Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to:
Language and ethnicity
*pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia
**Celts (modern)
*Celtic languages
**Proto-Celtic language
*Celtic music
*Celtic nations
Sports Foot ...
. In total he made 11 appearances for Hearts in all competitions.
Mansfield Town loan
On 2 September 2019, Shaughnessy joined League Two side
Mansfield Town
Mansfield Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. The team competes in , the third level of the English football league system.
The club was formed in 1897 as Mans ...
on a season-long loan after failing to fit into
Bielsa
Bielsa is a municipality located in the province of Huesca, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census ( INE), the municipality has a population of 463 inhabitants.
The Bielsa tunnel under the Pyrenean mountains connects Bielsa and Aragnouet ...
's immediate plans.
Burton Albion loan
After his loan at Mansfield was ended early, Shaughnessy signed on loan for League One club
Burton Albion
Burton Albion Football Club is a professional association football club in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third level of the English football league system. The club moved its home g ...
on 13 January 2020 for the rest of the 2019–20 season.
Rochdale
On 1 February 2021, Shaughnessy joined
Rochdale
Rochdale ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England, and the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale. In the United Kingdom 2021 Census, 2021 Census, the town had a population of 111,261, compared to 223,773 for the wid ...
on an 18 month contract.
Burton Albion
Shaughnessy left Rochdale during the 2021 summer window and made a permanent move to Burton Albion where he made 43 appearances for ''The Brewers'' during the 2021–22 season, including three league goals in his 38 League One outings.
Early in the 2022–23 season, the defender was injured in a defeat to
Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town Football Club is a professional football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. The club currently competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football.
Ipswich Town were founded in 1878 but did not turn ...
, following a fifth-minute collision with the Ipswich upright and was out for the remainder of August, all of September and October.
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
signed Shaughnessy to a two-year contract, with an option of a third year. On 16 April 2024, Shaughnessy scored an 89th minute winner in a 3–2 victory over
Barnsley
Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. It is the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. The town's population was 71,422 in 2021, while the wider boroug ...
, a result that saw his side secure the
2023–24 EFL League One
The 2023–24 EFL League One (referred to as the Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes) was the 20th season of the EFL League One under its current title and the 32nd season under its current league division format. The season began on 5 Au ...
title and promotion to the
EFL Championship
The English Football League Championship, known simply as the Championship and for sponsorship purposes as Sky Bet Championship, is a professional association football league in England and Wales. Contested by 24 clubs, it is the highest divi ...
.
Shaughnessy suffered a calf injury early in the 2024–25 season, leading to him being sidelined from September through the end of 2024 after only two Championship appearances in August. He returned early in the new year for only
a brief spell but played out the final league games of the season with ''Pompey''.
International career
Shaughnessy has represented Ireland at U15, U16, U17, U18 and U21 level. After his loan move to Hearts he expressed his hopes that he would get a senior international call up similar to fellow Irish under 21 centre back Jimmy Dunne whom he replaced at Tynecastle.
Personal life
Shaughnessy's elder brother Joe is also a professional footballer who plays for
Scottish Premiership
The Scottish Premiership, also known as the William Hill (bookmaker), William Hill Premiership for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Scotland and the highest level of the Scottish football league system. Th ...
side
Dundee
Dundee (; ; or , ) is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, fourth-largest city in Scotland. The mid-year population estimate for the locality was . It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firt ...
.
Career statistics
Honours
Hearts
*
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,2018–19
Portsmouth
*
EFL League One
The English Football League One, known as Sky Bet League One for sponsorship reasons, or simply League One, is a professional association football league in England. EFL League One is the second-highest division of the English Football League an ...
PFA Team of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year (often called the PFA Team of the Year, or simply the Team of the Year) is an annual award given to a set of 55 footballers across the top four tiers of men's Football in England, En ...