Praise for ‘brilliant’ former Portsmouth man after excellent Huddersfield Town introduction
Ibane Bowat completed his Pompey exit in the summer transfer window, joining Huddersfield Town for an undisclosed fee.
Ibane Bowat has had an impressive start to life with Huddersfield Town following his Pompey summer exit.
And Terriers boss Martin Drury has lauded the centre-back’s fitness after an all-action introduction at the Accu Stadium.
The 24-year-old departed Fratton Park in July, bringing an end to a frustrating two-year stay on the south coast.
After a serious knee injury decimated his maiden campaign at PO4, Bowat’s game-time was limited last term, featuring just 18 times in all competitions as he fell down John Mousinho’s pecking order.
Despite struggling for outings with Pompey in pre-season, the Scotland youth international has fitted seamlessly in Drury’s side, featuring in all eight matches in all competitions so far.
Praise for ex-Pompey man after Huddersfield switch
In fact, Bowat has started all six League One games, quickly becoming a front-line figure for the Terriers, who sit second in the early season standings and remain the only unbeaten side in the division.
And Drury has sung the ex-Pompey man’s praises after an excellent introduction, which has seen him remain injury free despite his limited pre-season.
He told the Yorkshire Post: ‘He is a great example because he came in, not having had the (pre-season) minutes that he probably needed.
‘We threw him straight in. He's one of the most down-to-earth, humble men you'll come across. He loves his football and is very, very intelligent, conscientious and is desperate to get better and play at the highest level he can
‘He sees us as a vehicle to do that, believes in what we're doing and he's amazing to work with. He's been brilliant. I had a conversation with him (on Wednesday) where he was knocking on the door.
‘He said: 'What else can I do? What more do you need from me? Can we do this? Can we do that? I've been really pleased with him and I think he'll only get better.’
Why Pompey sanctioned Ibane Bowat exit
Bowat arrived at Fratton Park in August 2024 for an undisclosed fee from Fulham.
Despite appearing on the bench soon after his signing, the centre-back suffered an ACL injury in training, which sidelined him fro the remainder of the campaign.
With Pompey eager to reduce their centre-half numbers this summer, Bowat always represented an obvious departure.
The left-footed defender recognised the difficulty of getting regular Fratton Park football up against Conor Shaughnessy, Regan Poole, Madiodio Dia, Hayden Matthews and Josh Knight and subsequently departed in August.
He penned a three-year deal at the Accu Stadium and joined for an undisclosed fee.