Conor Chaplin

Conor Mark Chaplin (born 16 February 1997) is an English professional footballer who plays for Premier League club Ipswich Town.

Chaplin joined the youth set up at Portsmouth in 2003, progressing through the club's academy to make his senior debut in December 2014.

He helped Portsmouth win the EFL League Two title in 2016–17, going on to make 122 appearances and score 25 goals during his time at the club.

[9] Chaplin started the 2015–16 season on the bench, playing second fiddle to first-choice striker Matt Tubbs, but showcased his talents with goals against Championship clubs Derby and Reading in the first and second rounds of the Football League Cup,[10][11] also scoring in the 3rd round of the FA Cup in a 2–2 draw with Ipswich Town.

[12] Although Chaplin struggled to maintain a first-team place in the league, he would still manage to score 11 goals in 38 appearances in all competitions over the course of the season.

He grasped the opportunity, scoring league goals against Wycombe Wanderers, Barnet, Blackpool, Notts County and Cambridge United before the end of October[14] – a run of form which would see him established as Portsmouth's first-choice striker.

[citation needed] As the season continued, Cook would rotate his centre-forwards, and Chaplin lost his place to the more physically imposing Smith.

Though Smith would ultimately fall out of favour and move to Northampton Town in the January transfer window, the signing of Eoin Doyle – who had previously played under Cook at Chesterfield – ensured that Chaplin would remain on the bench.

Chaplin continued to make cameo appearances as a substitute, however, and took his tally to eight for the season with a last-gasp, 25 yard strike against Barnet to snatch a point in a 1–1 draw on 18 February.

[17] At the end of August 2018, Chaplin joined Coventry City on loan with an agreement in place to sign permanently in the following January.

[26] On 27 July 2021, Chaplin joined Ipswich Town, on a three-year deal for an officially undisclosed fee, understood to be in the region of £750,000.