'I can't wait': Portsmouth darling Conor Chaplin sets sights on inflicting more pain on Southampton
He enjoyed the upper hand over Southampton with Ipswich Town - now Conor Chaplin wants more of the same in the south-coast derby.
Conor Chaplin has revealed his tingling anticipation at a south coast derby Pompey debut.
And the Blues’ returning hero has set his sights on inflicting more pain on Southampton, as he gets ready for a high-profile bow against his team’s fierce enemies next weekend.
Conor Chaplin: ‘I’m definitely looking to do more of that’
The Fratton story of the transfer window developed on deadline day, as Chaplin secured an emotional homecoming as he sealed a season-long loan deal from Ipswich Town.
It’s a piece of recruitment which will go down as one of Pompey’s best final-day recruitment since the window’s introduction in 2002.
Chaplin’s arrival has given the Blues faithful a lift, with it a superb flourish to a hectic summer of activity in which 11 new faces have arrived at PO4.
Now the 28-year-old is ready to get to work after returning to the club he left in 2018, as he looked to kickstart his career.
And it’s set to be a mouth-watering bow for the academy graduate in the white-hot confines of the first league clash between Pompey and Southampton in 13 years.
Chaplin and Southampton are familiar foes with the two locking horns in the Championship, as Ipswich beat them to automatic promotion in the 2023-24 campaign.
The attacking talent enjoyed the upper hand in both of those fixtures and lapped up a 1-0 success at St Mary’s Stadium, along with former Pompey trio George Hirst, Marcus Harness and Dane Scarlett.
Chaplin was on the pitch up the M27 as Sam Morsy grabbed a 90th-minute equaliser last term, but wasn’t involved as Southampton won at Portman Road in February. Spoils were shared between the two sides last month in the Championship, with the Pompey new boy out to have more success next week.
Chaplin told the club’s official website: ‘I can’t wait, it’s going to be a great occasion.
‘I’m really excited for that and it’s incredible for the football club and the fans to experience it in a league game - I think it’s going to be a special occasion.
‘I’ve had some good times, some really good times (against Southampton). Hopefully I can add to that as well, I’m definitely looking to do more of that.’
Strong Pompey start offers Chaplin encouragement
Chaplin joins a Pompey squad entering the south coast derby off the back of an encouraging start to the season, in which they have bagged seven points from the opening four games.
That leaves them placed eighth in the formative Championship table, sitting above their rivals in the league rankings for the first time in 5,229 days.
Chaplin sees that as an encouraging return from a powerful division welcoming strength from League One as well as the Premier League.
He added: ‘It’s really good, really positive, four games and seven points is a really good start to the league.
‘I think it’s a real, tough league this year, big challenges in every single game and different challenges in every game in terms of style of football and things you can’t control as well.
‘So it’s been really good and that’s a good foundation to go into the break with - and then go again when we get back.’