The huge Fratton favourite has spoken after making a move to the King Power Stadium following his Fratton Park exit.
Conor Chaplin is adamant he has more success to achieve in the game after completing his move to Leicester City.
Conor Chaplin has signed for Leicester City. Image: Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Imagesplaceholder image
Conor Chaplin has signed for Leicester City. Image: Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images | Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images
Chaplin’s switch to the King Power Stadium was confirmed earlier today, after he was released by Ipswich Town following a loan stay at Fratton Park last term.
Excitement greeted the 29-year-old’s capture at the end of last summer’s transfer window, but the academy graduate’s return wasn’t the anticipated success story - as he scored two goals from 37 appearances.
Chaplin’s attributes are certain to chime with new Leicester boss Russell Martin’s possession-based game, however, as he expressed a desire to bring his committed approach to his new employers.
‘Leicester City is a massive club with a brilliant fanbase, which has been obvious to me every time I’ve competed against them.
‘I’m extremely grateful to be given the opportunity to play for this great club, and I will give everything, every day, to achieve what we set out to.
‘I’ve had some great experiences in my career so far, but there is a lot more I want to achieve.
‘I like to play with an all-in attitude, energy, and a desire to help the team in any way I can. I’m looking forward to showing the supporters what I can bring.
‘I can’t wait to meet the lads, get out on the training pitch with the manager and his staff to help this team as much as I can.’
Conor Chaplin at Pompey last seasonplaceholder image
Conor Chaplin at Pompey last season | Getty Images
Despite his Pompey difficulties, Chaplin delivered arguably the most important goal of the season with his late, late winner at Middlesbrough in April.
That sparked a run of three wins on the bounce which carried John Mousinho’s side to Championship safety.
He said: ‘There’s been a lot of emotion.
‘There’s been a feeling of times that I’ve let people down - I’ve left the fans down and I’ve let the manager down.
‘But I genuinely haven’t dropped belief that I’m a very good player at this level, I’ve not dropped belief that I can make a difference for us until the end of the season.
‘I think once that belief goes you’re toast, so you really have to believe that.
‘Then I think it’s just the work every day. I like to do as much as I can to recover, as much as I can to be ready and stay ready.
‘I think moments like that at Middlesbrough justify why you do that. That’s rewards, in my eyes, for doing as much as you can to be ready and stay ready.
‘For me, it’s my family, my kids and my fiancee who’ve kept me going - that’s never been more so than now.
‘There’s been certain elements I’ve actually really enjoyed about this tough spell, because I’ve had a real upward trajectory in the last four or five years of my career.
‘I know that a career isn’t just linear, there’s all sorts of things which happen in a career - so I’ve genuinely enjoyed finding out what I’m made of in adversity.
‘I’ve enjoyed finding out how I react when people doubt me, I’ve enjoyed finding out how I react when things aren’t going my way and I’m not scoring goals.
‘I’ve found how good a professional I can be every single day when things aren’t going my way. I think that’s what I’m proud of most.’
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