Portsmouth warned as 'send him back' Middlesbrough forward Sammy Silvera in 'great spot' ahead of Fratton Park return
Sammy Silvera will return to Pompey with Middlesbrough today as a new man
Fratton Park proved to be an unhappy hunting ground for Sammy Silvera during hs short loan stint at Pompey.
Now, as he prepares to make his PO4 return for league leaders Middlesbrough today, the Blues have been warned his experiences on the south coast have fuelled a resurgence in the Australia international.
The 24-year-old featured just 12 times for the Blues in their maiden season back in the Championship, with neither a goal or an assist recorded before he was allowed to return to the Riverside Stadium early in January.
That move back to the north east came just days after a section of Pompey fans chanted ‘send him back’ during the 3-0 defeat to Bristol City at Ashton Gate on December 29, 2024..
And while a move to League One Blackpool over the second half of the 2024-25 campaign also failed to unlock the forward’s potential, the Aussie has been thriving under new Boro boss Rob Edwards.
Silvera has featured in six of Middlesbrough’s eight league games to date and he will head back to Fratton Park with a new-found sense of purpose that has been powered by his Pompey frustrations.
Sammy Silvera is ‘great spot’ at Middlesbrough
Edwards said: ‘Sometimes, an experience like that (at Pompey last season) can help you.
‘There’s no guarantee that you get a move and it’s just going to work out. You hope it does. But you can always try to take something from any kind of situation, whether it be good or bad, whether you’re playing loads of games or you’re not.
‘For Sammy, it was just experience. I’ve had it, too. We can put it all into our own lives, can’t we? You lose games of football and it’s tough. The tough times don’t last, but neither do the good times either. Life just carries on and you find a way and get through it.
‘And that’s what Sammy’s had to do. At the moment, he’s in a great spot where he’s really happy, he’s smiling and he’s a big part of the group. We love him.’
Sammy Silvera’s Pompey troubles are well behind him
Edwards said Silvera’s drive to prove people wrong was evident when he sat down with the 24-year-old following his return from a Bloomfield Rod stay that produced 15 League One outing.
There was every chance the former Central Coast Mariners attacker would be moved on during the summer. However, that chat with the Boro boss proved crucial.
He added: ‘It says a lot about him (that he’s turned things around). He’s got a brilliant attitude. He’s a brilliant human being, and we all love Sammy to bits.
‘I remember that discussion we had very early on when he spoke about how much he wanted to be here and be a part of it all. That really struck a chord with me. I said: “Right, come on then, now’s your chance. You’ve got your opportunity, just go and show us what you can do’” That’s what he’s done.’