Conor Chaplin, the star player of Ipswich Town, has recently embraced fatherhood. He has opened up about this new chapter in his life and the remarkable form of his team. Mark Heath shares the details.
It’s easy to forget that footballers, like the rest of us, lead lives beyond the soccer field. They confront the same daily challenges and experiences that we all do. Often, the most cherished moments in life occur outside the realm of work.
This holds true for Conor Chaplin. Despite his numerous successes on the pitch for Town over the past few seasons, the 26-year-old has now become a father for the first time, welcoming a baby boy into the world. With a grin, he expressed his excitement, saying, “It has been amazing, really, really good, and I’m loving it. I’m a hands-on dad, changing nappies and all the rest of it. I love all of it, to be fair, and I’ve been getting some good sleep, so he’s been a good boy so far.”
Remarkably, Chaplin junior made his debut appearance during the recent international break, perfectly timed to not disrupt his father’s commitments on the field. Chaplin attributed this fortunate timing to his girlfriend’s decision, stating, “It was good timing by my girlfriend. It couldn’t have been any better really because I didn’t miss any games, and he was all healthy, the perfect birth with no problems. The manager and all the staff have been amazing, allowing me to come in for training when it suits me. I went in a couple of days after he was born because I wanted to get going again, and there wasn’t much more that I could do to help. For the first few days, I just made sure I went into the training ground as late as possible and then left as soon as I could to get home. It has all been very smooth.”
With a new addition to care for and a successful career, Chaplin, under contract until 2026, reiterated his commitment to remaining in Suffolk for the long term. He affirmed, “That was the plan anyway. It hasn’t changed my thought process. It’s a special place for us with the success we’ve had at the club, and it just means that we’re going to stay as long as we can here.”
Ipswich Town continues its success on the pitch this season, with an impressive record of 10 wins in their first 12 games back in the Championship, following their promotion last season. Chaplin has been scoring consistently, with five goals this season, adding to the 17 he netted after the turn of the year. Reflecting on his stellar performance in 2023, he praised the team and the manager, saying, “It has been a great year, and I put it down to playing in such a good team under a very good manager. We play a good system, one that really suits me, while confidence is a big thing as well. We’ve been winning games, and everything has sort of come together. It’s the best I’ve ever felt playing football.”
Regarding the current season’s strong start, he added, “It has obviously been very good. We’re all going well and we’re in a really confident and good rhythm at the moment, so long may that continue. It’s not just been plain sailing this season, and we’re not naïve enough to think that, but we’re about a quarter of the way through the season, and we’ve made a good start. But that’s all it is at this stage, and we have to make sure we continue in the same way.”
When asked if the Championship table accurately reflects the season’s outcome, Chaplin replied, “Probably not yet, really. It’s important to get points on the board, no matter where we are in the season, ideally at the start and the back end. In terms of the table taking shape, I think it will be a little bit longer before that happens. We’ve not long had the summer transfer window, and we’ve got the January transfer window still to come. That, along with many other factors, can play a major part in who finishes where. It can sometimes take 20 or so games for players to settle in and gel as a team, so there is plenty of time for teams who have maybe made a slower start to climb the table. We’re very fortunate that we’ve had an excellent time with our manager since he came in more than 18 months ago now. We’ve been doing the same things from one week to the next in training and from one game to another, and that’s what has put us in a good place.”
A cornerstone of Ipswich Town’s success is the camaraderie and team culture, where players share a common goal and motivate each other to excel. Among the strong friendships in the squad, Chaplin’s bond with Welsh winger Wes Burns appears to be one of the closest. Burns is currently recovering from a shoulder injury sustained while on international duty with Wales two weeks ago. Chaplin shared that Wes is in good spirits and still actively involved in the team’s activities. He emphasized the importance of squad depth, especially in situations like this, where someone else will need to step up in Burns’s absence. It’s a testament to the team’s commitment to their collective goals, reinforcing the idea that it’s a squad effort that will lead them to success.
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