Exclusive:'With respect...': Ex-Derby skipper Ebou Adams on why he doesn't want the Portsmouth captaincy
Club skipper Marlon Park will miss the start of the season following knee surgery
Ebou Adams has no interest in becoming Pompey captain and insisted: I don’t deserve it.
The hard-running midfielder is viewed by many as a future Blues skipper, having previously served in the role with distinction at Derby and Forest Green Rovers.
Certainly he is blessed with impressive leadership qualities which render him a natural contender for the armband, particularly with Marlon Pack set to miss the start of the season through injury.
Last season, Josh Murphy, Colby Bishop and Regan Poole all served as captain whenever Pack wasn’t named in John Mousinho’s starting XI - and this term will again rival the 35-year-old for the role.
‘I am not interested in Portsmouth’s captaincy’
But, in the case of Adams, he doesn’t want to be considered alongside them.
He told The News: ‘I am not interested in being a captain.
‘There are a lot of players ahead of me, I have a lot of respect for them. In terms of order and respect, there’s a long list ahead of me.
‘Marlon is an unbelievable captain and there are still players ahead of me who deserve the armband.
‘I haven’t been thinking about it at all. Personally, I don’t think I deserve it, I have only been here two minutes. I am exaggerating a bit, I know, but I don’t deserve the armband at all.
‘I was captain at Forest Green and Derby, at previous clubs as well, there have been a few. I enjoy being a captain, I enjoy leading the team out, I love setting an example, but I have to respect the situation we are in and Marlon is an unbelievable captain.
‘I am sure Murph and Colby are unbelievable as well, there is a long list ahead of me who deserve it. So, for me, I have no interest in being captain.’
Marlon Pack, Colby Biship and Ben Killip captains during pre-season
Pack, Bishop and even Ben Killip have worn the armband so far in friendlies this summer, although Mousinho has rotated his squad during early pre-season.
The last time Pack was captain was for the second half of the opening match at Woking, before subsequently undergoing an operation on his knee which will sideline him for the next month.
Adams has still to feature in Pompey’s friendly programme as he continues to recover from the MCL injury sustained to his left knee in March’s 6-1 humiliation at QPR.
There have been set-backs in his rehabilitation along the way, but the former Cardiff man was expected to return to full training this week ahead of potentially featuring at Wycombe on Saturday (4pm).
‘For me, Marlon is a great captain’
Meanwhile, Adams has sung the praises of Pack, who was installed as Pompey skipper for Mousinho’s first match as head coach in January 2023.
He added: ‘Marlon is very good on and off the pitch and that shows captaincy qualities.
‘Anyone can go to him and speak to him about anything and, for me, that is a great captain.’
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