'There are a lot of centre-halves': Portsmouth match-winner's honest admission over his Fratton Park future
The Blues’ match winner has featured just 16 times in 19-and-a-months at Fratton Park
He’s proved those ‘injury-prone’ accusations unfounded - now Ibane Bowat is bidding to secure a Pompey future.
The Blues are overloaded with centre-halves at present, with six on their books and contracted for next season and beyond.
At present, Bowat finds himself fourth choice and a more regular match-day squad inclusion, with his ability to also operate at left-back a key attribute during Connor Ogilvie’s suspension.
Certainly Leicester City was a timely occasion for the 23-year-old to weigh in with a crucial match winner, having bundled home Adrian Segecic’s corner at the far post in the 63rd minute.
Thrown into the action in the 17th minute in place of hamstring injury victim Terry Devlin, it represented only his 16th Blues outing since arriving in August 2024.
And although he is contracted until the summer of 2027, the centre-half position will inevitably require pruning at the end of the current campaign.
‘For my future, these next three games are vital’
Bowat told The News: ‘I have been patiently waiting for these moments, I’ve not had the opportunity to play too much and it’s a great feeling to be able to come onto the pitch and help out the team and get the win.
‘Obviously I had a big injury last year and I’m happy I have proven to myself and to everybody else that I’ve been able to stay fit and stay healthy - which was my main objective coming back.
‘Coming back from a long injury like that, sometimes your body can let you down and I’m just happy I have been able to get strong and get fit and be able to perform when needed.
‘In my Academy days, I never really had injuries. Obviously it was a bit of a freak injury last season, but I’m back 100 per cent now. I wouldn’t even say I am an injury-prone player, I work hard in the gym to stay on top of things.
‘There are a lot of centre-halves here, obviously we had some injury problems early on in the season, maybe that was somewhere where the gaffer felt he needed some reinforcement. The fact I can also play left-back is good.
‘For my future, these next three games are vital. Obviously I love it here at Pompey, the game time has been a bit limited at times, but I’m just pleased to be able to play in front of these fans, they are really amazing.
‘I’m really happy playing here, I hope my future at Pompey can carry on.’
Missed the entire 2024-25 season through injury
Bowat missed the 2024-25 last season after sustaining a patellar tendon injury to his knee in training, just 10 days after joining the Blues in August 2024.
His long-awaited Championship debut arrived in November 2025, when asked to operate as an emergency left-back at Birmingham, with the match finishing in a 4-0 defeat.
Of his seven starts this season, that was the sole occasion he has lined-up as left-back, although he has been asked to serve in the role when introduced off the bench in two of the last three games.
On Saturday, he was challenged with containing Foxes right-winger Abdul Fatawu - and did an admirable job considering the circumstances.
‘It’s a bit tricky, but I enjoyed it’
Bowat added: ‘It’s never easy coming on that early, especially when the game is going 100mph, coming on out of position and against a tricky winger. I had to adjust to the speed of the game quickly and battle it out.
‘I have played at left-back a bit in the past, but never really in men’s football, more for Scotland Under-21s and Fulham Under-21s.
‘Compared to centre-half, when defending the picture you have is a lot different. When you play out wide, there is a lot of one-to-one defending against small, quite agile wingers, especially like the one I came up against today.
‘It's a bit tricky, but I enjoyed it and I’m happy to jump into whatever position is needed and fight for the team.’