Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna confirms key condition of Conor Chaplin's Portsmouth loan
Pompey secured the sensational deadline day signing of Ipswich Town forward Conor Chaplin to wrap up their summer transfer business.
Kieran McKenna has revealed Ipswich Town do hold an option to recall Conor Chaplin in January.
Although Chaplin featured in all five of Ipswich’s contests prior to his move, starts were set to become a premium after some big-name arrivals during the summer transfer window.
After penning a season-long loan deal, there was speculation over a potential January recall option in his contract which would allow Ipswich to bring the Fratton favourite back prematurely.
And Tractor Boys boss has confirmed there could be an ‘opportunity’ to end his stay with Pompey early if he feels it is in the best interests of the club.
Kieran McKenna on Ipswich recall option for Conor Chaplin
Speaking to TWTD over the popular forward’s Portman Road departure, the head coach said: ‘I’m sure anyone who was bored over the international break has seen the piece that we done on the club channels. I’ve spoken about that but for Conor I don’t mind again.
‘As I’ve said, he’s someone who I hold and everyone at the club holds in the highest regard as a person and as a player. Like we do with all the players really, but especially in Conor’s case, I’ve had honest conversations with him right through the off-season, pre-season and last season as well.
‘He’s someone who went from starting lots of games for us to last year not starting quite so many games. His injury record is really good, but he had a pretty significant injury and missed quite a lot of time in the second half of last season.
‘Coming into the season knowing that the competition for minutes was going to be really tough with the other options that we have, of course Conor was competing for those minutes like everybody else.
‘Some of those conversations were along the appropriate lines of it being really important at the stage of Conor’s career to be starting games week in, week out, especially having not done it last year.
‘His love for the club and want to stay part of the group was counteracted by knowing for his career that it’s really important he starts regularly this year because he’s got years ahead as a player and wants to be in the best position for those.
‘The opportunity came up pretty late on with the offer to go on loan to Portsmouth, it’s something that he wanted to look into. He is a big loss to the group, but at the same time, he’s a modern legend of the club and deserved the respect to look at options and what is best for him.
‘In the end, he decided that a loan move to Portsmouth, where he has a great history, his local team, where he’s got a great chance to play regularly, of course with the opportunity to even come back here in January if not the summer, was a good move for him, and we have depth in those positions that we feel we can still have a successful season.
‘It was the decision that he reached and we support him with it. We’ll all be watching his games and wishing him the best and staying in very close contact.’
Conor Chaplin’s Ipswich and Pompey stays
During Chaplin’s four-year stay with Ipswich, he netted 55 goals in 174 appearances in all competitions and was a pivotal figure in the club’s rise from League One to the Premier League.
He returns to Fratton Park where he rose through the ranks before breaking into the first-team fray, where he went on to net 25 times in 122 outings.