Leeds United defender Conor Shaughnessy has outlined what he hopes to get out of his loan move to Heart of Midlothian in an interview with the Scotsman.

Shaughnessy joined Hearts on loan until the end of the season amid a lack of first team opportunities at Elland Road, but he has wider hopes than simply forcing his way into the Leeds side.

He's seen young players such as Aapo Halme, Leif Davis and Jack Clarke force their way into the side, but his only outing was a poor first half display as Leeds crashed out of the EFL Cup against Preston.

He's hoping to put that behind him and not only prove a point to his parent club, but also force his international manager to recognise his talents.

Referring to Jimmy Dunne, the Eire defender who earned his call up at Tynecastle, Shaughnessy said: “That is a massive thing for me and it happened for Jimmy when he was at Hearts. A call up to the Irish national squad is a bit of a dream for me."

“Hopefully one day I can get called into the Irish set up and signing for Hearts can help boost my chances of that happening.”

Shaugnessy now replaces Dunne at Hearts, the Burnley player having been recalled by the Premier League side and immediately loaned out to League One Sunderland.

The Verdict

It's a big chance for Shaughnessy to show what he can do.

He needs regular football, it must have been tough to watch Aapo Halme take a first team spot when he'd been closest the season before.

There's also every chance of an Eire call up, especially if he catches Mick McCarthy's eye with a couple of strong outings against clubs like Hamilton and Kilmarnock.