Yet another devastating injury blow for luckless Portsmouth title-winner as fresh start turns sour
The ball-playing midfielder made 31 appearances in three seasons at Fratton Park
A popular Pompey title winner has suffered yet another set-back in his injury-plagued career.
Tom Lowery joined Kilmarnock in July following a frustrating three years at Fratton Park where he featured just 31 times.
However, his fresh start has swiftly turned sour, with the diminutive midfielder sidelined since the end of August through injury.
It’s yet another blow to the 27-year-old, who signed for the East Ayrshire-based club on a two-year deal following a summer exit from Pompey.
A talented performer capable of moments of quality in the centre of the park, Lowery’s progress in the game has been devastated by regular injury, particularly with the Blues.
Indeed, Lowery has so far started just one Scottish Premiership match for Killie, with six appearances in total. Frustratingly, he hasn’t featured since August 30, when introduced as a half-time substitute in a 2-2 draw at Motherwell.
Not named in Pompey’s 25-man squad
The former Crewe man has suffered a difficult 12 months after Pompey opted against registering him in their 25-man Football League squad during the first half of the 2024-25 season.
It meant that, months after capturing the League One title with John Mousinho’s men, he was unable to represent them, despite being fit and available for selection.
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He eventually moved on loan to Crewe in January for the remainder of the season and made 17 appearances, scoring twice, for the League Two club where he had started his career.
With Lowery’s contract up last summer, there was no surprise when Pompey released him along with Anthony Scully, Kusini Yengi, Cohen Bramall and Alexander Milosevic.
‘I’ve admired Tom for a while’
He subsequently moved to Scotland, with Kilmarnock boss Stuart Kettlewell hailing the signing on the club’s official website.
‘I believe he'll complement what we already have and add real depth and quality to our midfield options.’
Lowery featured in their July League Cup campaign, before starting the opening Scottish Premiership match against Livingston, which finished 2-2.
However, he has made just two more outings since and been sidelined from their last four fixtures in all competitions.
In his absence, Killie are third in the table, behind leaders Hearts and Celtic, having lost just one of their opening seven league matches.
A Danny Cowley signing
Lowery joined Pompey in August 2022 under Danny Cowley, having spent the summer trialling with Championship West Brom.
He swiftly became a supporter favourite, earning an original song, yet it was an injury-plagued maiden season on the south coast, with 21 appearances.
Once fit under newly-appointed head coach John Mousinho, though, he did start six of the final eight matches of the League One season as the Blues finished eighth.
Lowery even started the opening game of the 2023-24 campaign against Bristol Rovers, only to suffer knee ligament damage to rule him out for five months.
He returned in time to help reinvigorate the promotion push after a dreadful festive period, being thrust into the starting XI at Fleetwood, only to suffer a hamstring injury six games later, missing the next two-and-a-half months.
Now Kilmarnock fans will be hoping Lowery's latest injury set-back isn’t long-term as they bid to build on an encouraging start to the Scottish season.