Leeds United have developed a number of impressive young stars through their academy system at Thorp Arch, with Mateo Joseph and Archie Gray the latest products of their set-up.
The likes of Kalvin Phillips, Leif Davis, Jack Clarke, and Lewis Cook, among others, have come through with the Whites and have gone on to enjoy successful careers so far, in the Premier League and the Championship.
Not every young starlet who makes their debut for the first-team goes on to be an immediate success at Elland Road, or elsewhere, though, and one former academy gem who has worked his way back to the second tier since leaving the club is central defender Conor Shaughnessy.
The versatile defender made his debut under Thomas Christiansen but failed to establish himself as a regular for Leeds, and has now been promoted to the Championship with Portsmouth.
Conor Shaughnessy's Leeds career
The Whites snapped the young battler up from Reading in the summer of 2016 on a free transfer to bolster their U21 side at academy level.
Christiansen, who described the starlet as "intelligent", eventually handed the defender his first-team debut for the club in August 2017 as a substitute against Bolton in the Championship.
Appearances
9
Starts
5
Sofascore rating
6.61
Assists
1
Pass accuracy
67%
As you can see in the table above, the former Leeds boss did hand Shaughnessy opportunities to impress in the Championship during the 2017/18 campaign, along with five appearances in the FA Cup and League Cup combined.
Unfortunately, 45 minutes in a 2-0 loss to Preston North End in the League Cup for Marcelo Bielsa the following season turned out to be his final outing for Leeds.
After loan spells with Hearts, Mansfield Town, and Burton Albion over the subsequent years, the former Ireland U21 international left the club on a free transfer to join Rochdale in February 2021.
Where Conor Shaughnessy is now
After leaving Leeds for £0, the versatile defender, who can play at right-back or centre-back, played just 18 games for Rochdale before a return to Burton, on a permanent deal this time, and was a regular for them in League One, with 57 outings in two seasons.
His form convinced John Mousinho's Portsmouth to snap him up in the summer of 2023 on a free transfer, and he has enjoyed a stellar campaign with Pompey this term.
Shaughnessy has started 43 games for them at the heart of the defence and helped them to secure the League One title earlier this week – sealing promotion up to the Championship.
On the night Crysencio Summerville was named the Player of the Season for Leeds in the second tier, the Portsmouth star made it into the EFL League One Team of the Season, as shown in the video above, which illustrates how impressive he has been for Mousinho.
Shaughnessy, who turns 28 this summer, is now set to play in the Championship next season and could come up against his former side if Daniel Farke's men fail to make their way up to the Premier League in the ongoing battle to secure a top two finish in the division.
