Conor Chaplin: I won’t celebrate if I score against Portsmouth for Coventry

The academy graduate faces Pompey for the first time since leaving for Coventry City when they travel to the south coast on Monday.

Chaplin was a firm favourite among Blues fans.

He made his debut at Accrington as a 17-year-old, was an important member of the 2017 League Two title-winning side and scored 25 goals in 122 appearances in total.

However, he departed his boyhood club last summer for the Ricoh Arena for a fee of £500,000 after a lack of regular first-team minutes under both Paul Cook and Kenny Jackett.

Chaplin’s name was chanted from the Fratton Park stands last weekend after netting the winner at Sunderland to boost Pompey’s automatic promotion chances.

The Worthing talent is again aiming to get his name on the score sheet in familiar surroundings.

But he declared the respect and admiration he has for Pompey will mean his celebration will be low-key if he does.

Chaplin told Coventry Live: ‘It will be good. I can’t wait.

‘There will be a lot of faces that I know and some best friends who I have played with for 10 or 12 years.

‘Obviously I have never played against them because we were always in the same team, but I am really looking forward to it.

‘It’s the club I still support, my home town club and I don’t think that ever leaves you.

‘I still want them to do well and the only time I don’t is when we play them. But I want them to go up.

‘Hopefully I will have a chance to score against them because that’s in my competitive nature.

‘I wouldn’t be able to (celebrate), no.

‘I’d obviously be happy about scoring a goal but the relationship I have got with the fans and the club in general, they have done too much for me to celebrate.’

With Pompey firmly aiming to finish in the top two, the 22-year-old wants his former club are playing in the Championship next season.

Coventry still have an outside chance of finishing in the play-offs, Chaplin’s hoping his next Blues reunion will be in the second tier.

He added: ‘I was a Wembley the other week for the Checkatrade Trophy final because I have got a lot of friends there, and it’s even nicer when it’s at Wembley and some of your best mates are playing.

‘I’d like them to go up. I’d like us to go up as well.

‘Maybe we need a few miracles – five wins and maybe some dropped points from others elsewhere.’