Town captain Dara O’Shea says centre-back remains his preferred position after being used at right-back during the opening weeks of the Premier League season.

Having led the Blues to promotion from the Championship last season at the heart of defence, O’Shea has started each of the first three league games of the campaign in a wider role within the backline.

His position, which can be tactically fluid and allow Gary O’Neil to switch to a back three where required, has allowed for Jacob Greaves and summer signing Issa Diop to also feature from the outset in more central areas.

Specialist full-back Darnell Furlong and the ultra-versatile Abdoul Ouattara are alternative options that are yet to be explored under O’Neil on the right-hand side of defence.

While admitting he is playing away from his favoured position, O’Shea says he is happy to contribute wherever necessary and that the current role is not one that is too unfamiliar.

“I’m a centre-back by trade and that’s where I love to play,” he said. “I’ll play anywhere and I have played most positions in my whole career.

“No matter where I am on the pitch, I’ll always give 100 per cent and that’s the way I’ve always been. I’d prefer to play as a centre-back but playing right-back is no problem for me, it’s where I broke through at West Brom.

“I’ve played a lot of games and sometimes the positions it might look on the pitch aren’t too dissimilar to the original position I was playing before. I’m just happy to play no matter what.”

Finding a way into the side does allow O’Shea the chance to continue his impressive ever-present record after playing every minute of Town’s promotion-winning campaign last term.

The Blues skipper went the whole season without picking up a booking and is now on a remarkable run of starting all 84 league matches since his Town debut against Brighton and Hove Albion two years ago.

He said: “I want to play as many games as possible. It’s a great stat to see on paper. It wasn’t going through my mind at all last season, and I’ll try to put that to the back again.

“Personally, it was great to play that many games. To play every minute is something I pride myself on, I try and always be available. If I can do that again, I’ll be pretty happy.”

Experienced defender Diop appears to have taken O’Shea’s place on the right-hand side of the Blues’ centre-back pairing following his £8.5 million arrival from Fulham in July.

The Republic of Ireland international says Diop, whose 176 Premier League appearances are more than any other player in Town’s squad, has been a welcome addition to the group.

“He’s been unbelievable,” he said. “His stature, for one, he’s a big guy. In training, the standards he’s set and the quality he brings with him, as well as the experience, is special for us.

“He maybe isn’t the most vocal player, but the way he plays and the way he carries himself on the pitch is unbelievable, and he’s a joy to play beside.

“A lovely guy as well, getting to know him off the pitch has been really nice. Not just him, but the other players brought in as well, everyone’s added something to the group in their own way.”

O’Shea has three Premier League goals to his name but is yet to find the net for the Blues in the top flight, with his only strike for the club coming in a Championship defeat to Middlesbrough last season.

The 27-year-old did, however, score spectacularly from outside the box in Town’s pre-season victory over Union Berlin, and O’Shea hopes he can carry that form into competitive action.

He said: “I definitely need to score more goals for this football club. When I was younger, I scored a few goals like that.

“Maybe now that I’ve found myself a bit higher up the pitch, there might be an opportunity. I’ll take a clean sheet all day, and then whatever goals come with that, I’m happy.”

On his relationship with new boss O’Neil, O’Shea added: “Very good. You quickly understand that he’s a great guy. As a manager, he’s achieved a lot of things already in his career.

“He’s achieved what the club wants to achieve with his two previous Premier League clubs. That’s important for us and important for the club.

“He’s really easy to get along with. The information he gives is excellent and the way he delivers it on the pitch is really enthusiastic and full of energy. That’s all you can ask for as a player is to have that feeling.”

Photo: TWTD