Ex-Leeds United man's decisive role in Portsmouth's title charge with 'legend' status secure

Ex-Leeds United defender Conor Shaughnessy has entered Portsmouth folklore after scoring the goal that secured promotion from League One. Portsmouth sealed their spot in next season's Championship with a dramatic 3-2 win over Barnsley at Fratton Park on Tuesday night and Shaughnessy was the man that nodded home the decisive effort in the 89th minute.

John Mousinho's side have been a dominant force in the third tier this season and Shaughnessy has been a key member of the group following his summer move from Burton Albion. The Irishman has made 43 appearances for Pompey with four goals coming along the way, including this week’s header, which saw the club return to the Championship for the first time in 11 years.

The 27-year-old started his senior career at Leeds United, where he made 15 appearances, and Portsmouth's promotion means there is a chance he could be playing against the Whites next season, should the remainder of the season not to go to plan at Elland Road.

“This is what you dream of as a footballer," he told The News. "This is what you dream of as a kid growing up - these are the nights we’ve worked hard for. To have the opportunity to win the league at Fratton Park with two games to go and then seal it with the winner in the last few minutes, it’s something that will stay with me forever.

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“Marlon (Pack) said to me: ‘you’re a legend now’. I can’t get my head around it, it will take a few days to sink in. I’ve been saying for a few weeks I want one more goal, because it’s been a while now. There’s no better time or place to get it. We’ll enjoy tonight now and tomorrow - and the day after that. Let’s celebrate as a city and enjoy ourselves now.”

He added: “I’ve never seen anything like it. You can see what it means to the people of Portsmouth. That’s what we wanted at the start of the season. It’s been a long time coming but we’ve been the best team all season long. We’ve stayed at the top for over 200 days. It’s something we deserve as a group, we have the best manager in the league and the best group of players put together by Rich Hughes [Portsmouth’s sporting director] and the gaffer. Massive credit to them because it’s an unbelievable group and we’ve got what we deserved.”