'Raised a few eyebrows': Portsmouth boss on the summer signing who has proven a revelation - to the surprise of many

Now the impressive Conor Shaughnessy is one of the first names on the team-sheet, according to Pompey’s head coach.

A free transfer arrival from Burton, the 27-year-old failed to make the 18-man squad for the season opener against Bristol Rovers.

Since then the Irishman has started the last 11 league fixtures, demonstrating superb form to help drive the Blues to the top of the table.

Mousinho acknowledges Shaughnessy had ‘high potential’ as a promising player at Leeds – now the centre-half is among his best performers.

He told The News: ‘We expect all of the players to come in and challenge for first-team places, so it hasn’t surprised me.

‘But I’m guessing if you had maybe told me Conor Shaughnessy was going to come in and be one of the outstanding players then it would have raised a few eyebrows.

‘He has been brilliant and one of the first names on the team sheet at the moment.

‘The minute I had him in the building, it was evidently clear that he was a very, very good player and that's what the recruitment department is all about, spotting these players that not necessarily anyone else spots.

‘When he went to Leeds as a youngster, he was certainly viewed at that time as somebody with high potential as a centre-half, going on to play nine games in the Championshp.

‘He possibly didn't kick on after that for a multitude of reasons, I think a lot of it was down to the changing personnel at the top.

‘He’s very, very calm and assured, physically he’s excellent, he’s very, very aggressive, and also mobile, so very rarely do you see him get caught behind. I can’t remember a game that he’s really struggled to get to grips with.

‘The only time I was slightly critical of him was the first-half against Derby, when he didn't really get hold of the game, but I caveat that with playing against a Premier League and Championship centre-forward in Conor Washington and Martyn Waghorn.

‘He has been excellent for us.’

Ryley Towler had been selected ahead of Shaughnessy to be the left-sided centre-half in the 1-1 draw with Bristol Rovers in August.

Now it’s the former Leeds man who partners Regan Poole in what has developed into an outstanding defensive double act.

Mousinho added: ‘I had a conversation with Conor at that time about him not being in the starting line-up, let alone in the squad, and said I feel for you because you don’t deserve this, you’ve been excellent through pre-season, one of the outstanding performers.

‘At that time I thought we also had other centre-halves performing really well, Ryley Towler had a really, really good pre-season. There was fierce competition for spots.

‘Conor was then faultless against Forest Green and it became a bit of a selection headache. The position is his to lose.’