'Spectacular goals and assists': Stockport County verdict on Portsmouth's first signing of the summer
The attacking midfielder made 57 appearances and scored six goals for the Hatters in 2025-26
Odin Bailey has arrived at Fratton Park off the back of his best-ever season for Stockport County.
And according to Sam Byrne, Stockport reporter for the Manchester Evening News, the 26-year-old possesses the ability to add goals and assists to the Blues’ midfield.
Pompey have snapped up Bailey on a free transfer following his Edgeley Park departure at the end of a season which saw them lose in two Wembley finals.
With 57 appearances and six goals, he was a mainstay of the Hatters’ side which finished third in the League One, before losing in the play-off final against Bolton.
Byrne believes the former Salford man was a ‘victim of circumstance’ when Stockport subsequently released him in May without offering a new deal.
But he has spoken glowingly of the central midfielder’s attacking attributes which will now be on display in the Championship after his south-coast switch.
‘Last season as Odin’s best for the club’
The Manchester Evening News reporter told The News: ‘Odin has probably been a victim of circumstance with the manager and director of football leaving this summer.
‘Both brought him to the club in 2023, initially on loan, yet this summer’s managerial upheaval left just three players out of contract. One retired and Odin and Callum Connolly were let go. The consensus around the club is they both should have been kept, any other season they probably would have been.
‘The vibe coming from the club is they felt the pair of them were going to get contract offers which Stockport couldn’t match, so they didn’t even table an offer to them.
‘It’s a shame because probably everyone around the club and the fans will regard last season as Odin’s best for the club, he had a really, really good year, scoring a few goals and chipping in with a lot of assists.
‘When it came to the end of season awards, the clear-cut winner was Kyle Wootton, but Odin was pushing. He’s someone who really impressed the fans and any other season they probably would have kept him.
‘He’s an attacking midfielder who is genuinely two-footed. He’ll drift out to the wings, but has very rarely started as a winger for Stockport, perhaps once or twice in emergencies. Predominantly, he will always be a central midfielder.
‘Being so two-footed brings that balance, he glides on the ball, he can drop a shoulder, turn and be away from two players. His goals all come from outside the area and are impressive.
‘Odin’s focus has always been on getting forward, helping with goals and assists, rather than defensively. He assisted Adama Sidibeh’s opening goal in Stockport’s EFL Trophy defeat to Luton in April and is definitely more of an attacking midfielder.’
Six Championship appearances for Birmingham
Certainly Pompey have lacked goals from the centre of midfield since returning to the Championship.
Bailey is regarded as a number 8 rather than a defensive midfielder, capable of breaking forward and producing excellent attacking moments.
He previously made six Championship appearances, all off the bench, for Birmingham in the 2019-20 season after coming through the St Andrew’s ranks.
That includes a last-gasp winner in a 2-1 triumph over Middlesbrough in October 2019 in only his third league outing.
Now, after spells in League One and League Two, Bailey is returning to the level after a seven-year absence.
‘He is a really good squad option’
Byrne added: ‘I would be surprised if he started week after week in the Championship for Pompey, which is a big step up. Odin looks really good when he’s on it, but, when he struggles, he can look the complete opposite.
‘However, he is a really good squad option, a really good player to come off the bench who gives two-footedness and balance, but you aren't getting a marquee-style player for a Championship club.
‘It will be interesting to see how he does at Pompey’.
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