The big target for former Leeds United and Reading man as surprise Portsmouth rise continues

And the Blues boss has now challenged the defender to continue his impressive start to life at PO4, and become a Championship player once again.

Shaughnessy has been one of the early-season success stories at the League One pacemakers, following a no-fuss free transfer arrival from Burton Albion in the summer.

The 27-year-old was left out of the squad for the opening-day draw with Bristol Rovers, but came in for the Carabao Cup win at Forest Green and has started every game since.

Mousinho admitted the pace at which the Republic of Ireland man has adapted to his new surroundings has caught even him slightly on the hop.

Now the demand is for Shaughnessy to return to the level where he made nine appearances for Leeds United in the 2017-18 season,

He said: ‘When we bring players in the expectation is that everyone is going to compete, and everyone is going to be there or thereabouts to start or vie for a starting spot.

‘That’s what our entire recruitment was based on.

‘Conor’s one of those that if you’d said before I’d named the squad for the first game of the season he was going to play the next seven games, I’d maybe have been surprised.

‘But from what he’s done from that Forest Green game onwards, he’s been excellent.

‘He’s been very consistent and playing on the left side as a right footer, I’ve not seen him in any trouble.

‘I thought when we had two tough opponents to play against it Derby in Waghorn and Washington who like to run in behind, once he got to grips with them he was excellent.

‘Then he and the entire side faced Devante Cole (against Barnsley), a player who’d scored eight goals in seven games at that point and was by far the in-form player in the country. He dealt with him and then (Sam) Cosgrove, who’s a really difficult player.

‘So I’ve been pleased with his performances.

‘He’s 27 but has played in the Championship, and the ambition for him has to be to get back there.

‘I’ve just seen very composed performances from Conor - and it’s been a real feather in his cap.’

Mousinho explained that the demands placed upon Pompey’s central defenders makes Shaughnessy’s form all the more impressive.

The head coach’s expectations is for his duo in the middle to be forward thinking on the ball - and also brave enough to engage strikers high up the pitch.

Mousinho added: ‘He’s very calm, but also very aggressive at the same time.

‘His aerial win percentage is right up there, he’s steps in and wants to be on the front foot.

‘We ask out defenders to be on the front foot, and if they make mistakes being aggressive we’ll live with that.

‘We don’t want them to drop off and I don’t want them to let centre-forwards come into space and receive the ball.

‘So they have to be front-footed but athletic enough to get back the other way when forwards spin.

‘It’s a difficult thing to do, but Conor’s been able to do that.’