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.”

Photo: Matchday Images

Lukeybluey added 09:31 - May 26 Beautiful words there from Chappers
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flykickingbybgunn added 09:49 - May 26 I think those at PR yesterday showed how much Mass is valued by all of us. We wish him and his family well for the future. Thanks Massimo.
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Mariner1974 added 10:36 - May 26 I think McKenna missed a trick not playing him in more games against the likes of Everton/ Palace/ Brentford. We missed his physicality and feel he was the player who should have stepped into play when Cajuste couldn't play a full 90. Jack Taylor I know Mckenna will be thinking of trying to hone him into a player we can use next year, but Massimo is a step up in quality.

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Flight_of_Shefki added 10:45 - May 26 Aw. Thanks Mass. Top lad. And great words there from Chappers.
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Bazza8564 added 11:50 - May 26 Massimo was the one who came in mid season in league one and gave us the oomph to get us up. No doubt! I wish him well, I hope he finds a club if he decides to carry on and continues to enjoy international football too
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Suffolkboy added 11:54 - May 26 KM and ITFC will need to replace ML with more of the same ,in character and commitment ! Wonderful tributes from everyone around speak volumes of respect ! COYB
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Tractorboy58 added 12:46 - May 26 Great to hear how close our team mates are .. looking forward to seeing Chappers being his bubbly and whole hearted self in the games next year .. COYB !
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BangaloreBlues added 13:19 - May 26 Really liked him from day one, gutted he's leaving, but football has a way of inflicting pain on us from all angles! There's going to be a few more sad exits in the coming months, unfortunately. Wish him all the best, I hope in future years he will look back at his career and realise what an amazing achievement he was a part of here with that double promotion.
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poet added 13:46 - May 26 Mass is what I would describe as the complete footballer. I’ve said before, if we had a young Massimo Luongo, we’d have one of the best midfield players in the PL. He’s been a very influential player for us, one of our best, if not the best, signing over the last 3 seasons. Whatever he does, wherever he goes, I hope he enjoys the rest of his career, he still has lots to offer, and he’s been a top, top player.

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