Hearts manager Craig Levein has confirmed that Leeds United defender Conor Shaughnessy will be returning to Elland Road this summer after his loan spell in Scotland.
The 22-year-old powerhouse, who stands at a giant 6’3″ (source: Transfermarkt) moved north of the border on a temporary deal back in January and has gone on to play seven times for the Premiership club.
However, Levein appears to have all but ruled out another return, either temporarily or permanently, for the centre back, as he states he is heading back to Leeds and as such needed replacing with pre-contract signing Craig Halkett.
He told the Edinburgh Evening News: “We will lose Conor Shaughnessy, who is going back to Leeds, in the summer so obviously we needed another centre-back.”
Opinion
It seems as though Shaughnessy has not done enough in Scotland to convince Levein of handing him another loan or even a permanent deal, leaving his future in serious doubt. He was not rated good enough for Leeds this season and with the Whites chasing Premier League football, he is hardly going to be given much of a chance if they do get into the top flight. This is a crossroads of a summer for Shaughnessy, for he is still young but will no doubt want to be playing regular first team football. That is simply not going to come his way at Elland Road any time soon, if ever, and as such he should be looking for a permanent exit to turn a new page on his fledgling career. After having watched him last season, you cannot imagine there will be too many fans at Elland Road who will be too disappointed, with Leeds United potentially embarking on a new chapter of their own.