'People didn't want to accept the truth': Conor Shaughnessy on handling Portsmouth rumours and conspiracies

Amid the lengthy injury gloom, social media provided welcome bursts of amusement to lift Conor Shaughnessy’s sagging spirits.

Unintentionally, of course. After all, the various ludicrous claims directed at the central defender over his ongoing first-team absences were never designed to bring a much-needed smile to his face.

Regardless, the Irishman admits he and his partner regularly laughed at the accusations which stubbornly refused to disappear, rather than take great offence.

From rumours of fighting with John Mousinho to claims of feigning injury ahead of a planned January transfer window move, the whispering steadily cranked up in volume as it eventually reached Shaughnessy’s own ears.

And, looking back, he chuckles at memories of once occupying the eye of a social media storm.

Portsmouth defender: We had a laugh about it

The 28-year-old told The News: The Injuries last season were frustrating - the rumours, though, were entertaining. Although it was a bit strange for a few months there.

‘Fighting with the gaffer, being injured because I was being sold in January, with people asking where I was off to. The first I heard about any of these was online!

‘Me and my missus read through them at the time, we’ve had a laugh with the gaffer about things, I’ve had a laugh with the staff too. No issues, it hasn’t caused any problems, especially as they were all cleared up eventually.

‘People didn’t really want to accept the truth that it was actually an injury. Just an injury, that’s all. Yet quite a lot of fans were coming up asking me about it, quite a lot of people jokingly sending me stuff which had been said online about it.

‘Maybe it would wind others up reading untrue things like that, but not me. Me and the gaffer actually had a laugh about it when it was happening, so it was nothing too deep inside the club, no problem.

‘I am quite relaxed about things, it would probably take quite a lot to get me angry, especially something online or on the internet. I’m not going to bite back on anything like that unless it’s extremely bad.

‘If enough people have the same opinion, it can be seen as a fact’

‘I just laughed it off, just one of those things. It’s not something I’ve had to do before, although you see it quite a lot with other players.

‘That’s the power of social media now, everybody has an opinion and everybody can put their opinion out there - and, if enough people have the same opinion, it can be seen as a fact.’

The 2023-24 Players’ Player of the Season ended last term with just nine appearances with persistent calf problems and then a hamstring tear resulting in the most frustrating campaign of his career.

At one stage he was pencilled in for a comeback to the starting XI against Sheffield United in September, only to pull out during the pre-match warm-up having aggravated the issue to his right calf.

Nonetheless, many still doubted the veracity of Shaughnessy’s injury problems, with the flames fanned by social media.

‘I read a little of social media, but not too much’

He added: ‘I probably look more at social media when I’m playing.

‘I like to see the fan feedback and what people think in general, but you can get stuck a bit on it and you will always see something negative, it’s bound to happen. I read a little, but not too much.

‘To be fair, when I’m playing regularly, I usually come off my Twitter account completely, just so I’m not reading any of it after games, which I would say has helped me a lot.’

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