Exclusive:The four-year wait is over: Portsmouth finally have the centre-forward battle they desperately need
Bishop has scored 60 goals in 175 games since joining from Accrington Stanley in July 2022
Danny Cowley had to desert his post in the first-half against Bognor. After all, there were more pressing matters to deal with.
While Pompey were fulfilling a pre-season friendly at Nyewood Lane in July 2022, their multi-tasking head coach was also orchestrating the transfer of Colby Bishop over his mobile phone.
Following the collapse of a move to Blackpool, Blues first-team coach Simon Bassey sacrificed his day off to meet the Accrington striker at Heathrow Airport and chaperone him to Harley Street for two medicals and a meal at Itsu.
A youthful Pompey side drew 1-1 that evening against the non-leaguers - and the next day Bishop was unveiled as their seventh signing of the summer.
Almost four years later, to the very day, Marko Milovanovic entered Fratton Park, his £3m cost dwarfing the bargain £500,000 spent on a player he will now be rivalling for a starting spot.
Bishop has served as Pompey’s first-choice centre-forward for four successive seasons, injury and health-permitting. Largely unchallenged, certainly without a consistent rival - until now.
The brief challenge of Kusini Yengi
Admittedly, there was a brief period when team selection wavered, certainly among the Fratton faithful, when some championed Kusini Yengi as his successor during the second half of the League One title-winning campaign.
On one occasion, the striking rivals started in the same team together. It resulted in a 3-1 win over Shrewsbury in April 2024, in which Bishop registered twice, including a penalty.
Indeed, against Barnsley two games later, a fixture which could seal Pompey’s Championship return, Mousinho opted to rotate his squad in the interests of injecting freshness after a tough draw at Bolton days earlier.
Yengi started, with Bishop replacing him in the 61st minute. Ultimately, both players contributed with a goal in that dramatic 3-2 success on a memorable Fratton Park evening.
Sadly, Yengi never again scaled such heights upon reaching the Championship, having been hindered by injury and rocked by an alarming plummet in form which continues to impact his career to this day.
Indeed, Bishop returned from heart surgery in November 2024 to produce far superior displays to the Australian as he established himself as a pivotal performer in the Blues’ relegation survival with 11 goals in 31 games.
Portsmouth’s costliest player since Premier League days
In truth, Bishop has lacked consistent competition during his four Fratton Park seasons - until now, following the recruitment of the 6ft 4in Serb.
Representing Pompey’s costliest outlay on a player since the Premier League years, Milovanovic will be regarded as Mousinho’s first-choice striker once he has been brought up to speed.
It presents a fresh challenge to Bishop, who suddenly finds himself playing second fiddle in a playing system which employs one centre-forward.
At times, as witnessed for the bulk of last season, selecting a striker by default was alarmingly counter-productive. Despite being out-of-form with confidence at a career low, Pompey doggedly persevered, hoping - rather than expecting - his fortunes to change.
Jacob Brown was never a genuine alternative, Makenzie Kirk was naturally adapting from the Scottish Championship to the English Championship, while Thomas Waddingham was injured.
Throughout Bishop’s troubles in 2025-26, he was still the best of the centre-forward pool on offer to Mousinho in a season in which he registered just four times.
In 2024-25, with Pompey forced to search elsewhere for goal power following Bishop’s heart diagnosis, Elias Sorensen was signed from the Danish second tier, while Mark O’Mahony arrived on loan from Brighton.
Yengi and Christian Saydee were still in the building, with Waddingham joining halfway through, even scoring on his debut against West Brom in January 2025 before injuries took their initial grip.
Yet, it was Bishop who finished as Pompey’s leading scorer for a third successive season as they stayed up with two games to spare.
Finally striking competition for Colby Bishop
Since July 2022, Bishop has also faced competition from Joe Pigott and Dane Scarlett, in addition to Yengi, Saydee, Sorensen, O’Mahony, Waddingham, Brown and Kirk. Callum Lang also had several appearances in the centre-forward role.
Until now, however, Bishop had never previously come across a rival as strong as Milovanovic. Perhaps he will benefit, raising his game to match the standards set, particularly after last season’s selection mismatch.
It sets up a fascinating centre-forward battle in the forthcoming campaign, providing both are allowed an even playing field in terms of injury and availability. As ever with Pompey, though, even that is no guarantee.