Middlesbrough forward Sammy Silvera excited by future after 'unfortunate' time at Portsmouth and 'send him back' chants
Sammy Silvera made 12 appearances for Pompey but saw his loan move cut short as he struggled to make an impact at Fratton Park
Sammy Silvera has admitted he’s enjoying his football once again after an ‘unfortunate’ period spent away from parent club Middlesbrough last season.
But the former Pompey loanee feels he has a point to prove after struggling to make an impact at Fratton Park and then League One Blackpool over the second half of last term.
Silvera was the Blues’ fifth signing of the summer transfer window in 2024 after agreeing to swap the north east for the south coast in a season-long arrangement.
His arrival at the time was considered something of a coup, with the former Central Coast Mariners forward expected to inject dynamism to Pompey’s attack in a similar fashion to that produced by fellow new arrival Josh Murphy last season.
But despite featuring in eight of Pompey’s first nine games of the season, it soon became apparent that the move wasn’t working out.
As the Blues initially struggled to adapt to their new Championship surroundings, so too did the young Aussie, who made the starting XI just once following the goalless draw against Sheffield United on September 28.
That came in the 3-0 defeat at Bristol City on December 29, with head coach John Mousinho making a raft of changes for the game at Ashton Gate during the busy festive season. Yet that 46-minute appearance proved to be Silvera’s last in a Pompey shirt.
With the winger subjected to ‘send him back, send him back’ chants from the away end that day - something which Blues boss John Mousinho didn’t take too kindly to - a return to Middlesbrough and a loan move to Blackpool was hastily arranged within a matter of days.
Silvera’s time at Bloomfield Road wasn’t exactly a roaring success either, with the winger scoring once in 15 appearances for the Seasiders.
But now back with Middlesbrough, who are now managed by Rob Edwards, the Aussie is once again playing with a smile on his face.
Sammy Silvera glad to be back at Middlesbrough
Speaking ahead of Boro’s pre-season game against Mansfield on Saturday - a game Silvera started - he said: ‘I had some unfortunate time out on loan, just not getting the game time.
‘Some things were out of my control, some things weren't, but just being back here, being in a quality environment with quality players, it's important to me to keep growing. And the level of the coaching has been fantastic. I'm really enjoying it.
‘I think everyone has a point to prove. Everyone is raising the bar and it's always good to have a different set of eyes and ideas on training.
‘The way we want to play, we're slowly learning and improving as a team. it's exciting and that's the main thing.’
John Mousinho on Sammy Silvera’s time at Pompey
Silvera departed Pompey with a record of 12 appearances, five league starts, zero goals and no assists after he struggled for form at Fratton Park.
Following his Blues departure in January, Mousinho said: ‘We had a sensible conversation with Middlesbrough about what was best for Sammy and, after the Bristol City game, both parties thought it was the best thing for Sammy to go back.
‘It’s very difficult off the back of that (supporter reaction) as a player and then as a coach. If I’m looking at that as a coach, I worry about the negative implications of involving Sammy again for his own sake - and we have to look after him as a player.
‘I don’t think he deserved any of that, but I don’t necessarily think that would stop it from happening again.
‘You certainly have to look at a player’s confidence and a player’s well-being when you’re taking into account all of the questions which you need to answer.
‘I thought Sammy dealt with it unbelievably well considering. I spoke to him the next day, he'd had a tough time, he had taken it on board.
‘Any opinion that anybody wants to have on a player is absolutely fine, but our form this year isn’t Sammy’s fault, the Bristol City game wasn’t Sammy’s fault.
‘I am sure Sammy would have wanted to be involved a lot more, but he hadn't stopped trying, he hadn’t stopped working, he certainly hadn’t downed tools. He was still working for the football club regardless of what you think of his performances.’