‘Not always a fairytale’: Conor Chaplin pens emotional Portsmouth farewell ahead of Ipswich Town decision
Conor Chaplin netted two goals and collected three assists 37 appearances for Pompey during his season-long loan stay from Ipswich Town.
Conor Chaplin has admitted he’s come to terms his Pompey homecoming hasn’t played out as a fairytale.
But the 29-year-old was ‘grateful’ for the opportunity to make his emotional Fratton Park return more than six years after his initial departure.
The curtain came down on the forward’s season-long loan stint with his boyhood club on Saturday as he came off the bench in the Blues’ 1-1 draw with Birmingham City.
Despite sealing his emotional homecoming last summer, Chaplin’s stint on the south coast proved hugely frustrating as he struggled to hit the heights many initially expected.
There was hope the academy graduate’s addition would propel John Mousinho’s men away from another relegation battle as they made a statement of intent on the final day of the transfer window in September.
But that wasn’t to be the case, however, with the ex-Coventry City man yielding just two goals and three assists in 37 appearances for Pompey, who secured survival with two games remaining.
By his own admission, the ex-Coventry City man felt he let the Fratton faithful down during his season-long loan stay in an honest interview with The News in April.
And in an emotion message on Instagram, Chaplin admitted his Blues return wasn’t the fairytale he expected, but praised Mousinho’s troop’s ‘incredible effort’ to secure Championship survival.
The forward wrote on Instagram: ‘This beautiful journey. So grateful for the chance to come back.
‘Not always a fairytale and that’s ok!!! I feel what we achieved in the end, considering the circumstances, was actually an incredible effort.
‘Big, big love Pompey.’
John Mousinho on Conor Chaplin’s future
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Chaplin returns to Ipswich Town with his future at Portman Road hanging in the balance.
It remains to be seen whether the Tractor Boys trigger that clause, though, after they secured promotion back to the Premier League after a comprehensive 3-0 triumph over QPR on the final day.
Speaking last week, Mousinho left the door ajar to a potential Fratton return for Chaplin as he revealed discussions will take place between the club and the forward depending on his Ipswich Town situation.
He told BBC Radio Solent last week: ‘We’ll see what happens with Ipswich first in terms of the priority and the option they have on the player.
‘If they don’t, then it’ll definitely be a conversation between us and Conor’s agent in the summer so left it open from that point of view.’