Town forward Conor Chaplin has reflected on Massimo Luongo’s time at the Blues, hailing the midfielder as one of the best teammates he could wish for.
Luongo made his 86th and final appearance for the club in Sunday’s final day defeat to West Ham United, coming on as a late substitute to a glorious reception from all four stands inside Portman Road.
Following the expiry of his contract, the Australian international will move on from Suffolk this summer after a two-and-a-half-year spell that yielded back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League.
A virtual ever-present from his arrival in January 2023 to the Championship success last season, Luongo formed a special bond with midfield partner Sam Morsy and the Blue Army, many of whom have suggested Luongo as being one of the greatest free transfers in modern history.
Chaplin, who played with Luongo 62 times for the Town, was the latest to be full of praise for Luongo and agrees the reception received both during and after the game against the Hammers was fully justified.
"I couldn’t possibly speak high enough of Mass,” he said. "He’s probably one of my closest friends in the group and I’m going to miss him massively.
"The impact that he’s had, not just on myself, but the team as a whole from when he came in that January in League One has been incredible, the statistics show that.
"He’s been one of the best teammates that you could ever wish to have in terms of driving standards every day and making other people look better.
"I know he’s loved here a lot, but I think even with the love he gets he’s still under-appreciated massively. It’s not anyone’s fault because you have to play with him to appreciate him fully.
"He makes every single person better – he's so clever, knows exactly what to do and when to do it, so much nous in the way that he plays.”
While many appreciate Luongo’s ability and presence on the pitch, fewer get the opportunity to get the chance to learn of his attributes as a person off the pitch.
That aspect of Luongo’s personality is another that Chaplin admires greatly.
"As a guy he’s just an incredible fella,” he continued. "A real family man which is something we’ve really got in common and bonded a lot over.
"He's a credit to his wife and kids in the way that he handles himself and the way that he acts every single day.
"I can’t explain how much I’ve enjoyed the last two and a half years with him. I love him to bits.”