DEFENDER Conor Masterson arrived in west London in July 2019 and has continued to impress for our Under-23s side, alongside trying to establish himself in the first-team picture.

Masterson’s footballing career began in his native Ireland, with an impressive spell with local side Lucan United eventually catching the eye of Premier League giants Liverpool - courtesy of a starring role at the Kennedy Cup.

A ball-playing centre-back, he captained Liverpool’s Under-18s before being promoted to their Under-23 setup at the tender age of 18.

This rapid rise through the youth ranks continued and he was subsequently recognised in 2018 with a place on the bench for Liverpool’s first-team fixtures against Manchester City and Everton.

A knee injury however curtailed his progress at Anfield and a switch to W12 in the summer of 2019 gave him a chance to get his career back on track.

An impressive 2019/20 campaign in the blue and white hoops saw him make 14 appearances, as well as notching his first-ever professional goal against Millwall in July 2020.

However, the 2020/21 Sky Bet Championship wasn’t as successful and, having only made six appearances for the R’s, a loan stint with Swindon Town was then hampered by injury, shortening his time at the County Ground.

Internationally, Masterson has represented the Republic of Ireland at Under-17, Under-19 and Under-21 level. He was also named as the FAI's international player of the year in 2015.

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