‘Real quality’: Portsmouth flop enjoying impressive career revival with Middlesbrough after Fratton Park failure
Sammy Silvera failed to score in any of his 12 Pompey appearances during his loan stay at the start of the 2024-25 campaign.
Sammy Silvera is enjoying a career revival at Middlesbrough following his Pompey and Blackpool disappointments.
And the 24-year-old is making a huge impression under new boss Rob Edwards, who believes the forward possesses ‘real quality’.
Following the head coach’s appointment in the north east in June, there was plenty of speculation over the winger’s Boro future.
After a disappointing loan stay at Fratton Park, which saw his deal prematurely cut short in January, he was sent to League One where he linked up with Steve Bruce at Blackpool.
But Silvera struggled at Bloomfield Road, scoring one and assisting one in 15 appearances during the second half of last term.
Indeed, he was handed his first Middlesbrough start in 17 months on Saturday, with Edwards beginning his tenure with a 1-0 win against Swansea City on the opening day of the season.
Rob Edwards on Sammy Silvera’s career revival
And the Boro boss has highlighted Silvera’s drastic improvement during the summer period.
Speaking to Teesside Live, Edwards said: ‘He's a lovely guy. He's a lovely, smiley, happy lad and at the moment he's in a really good spot because he's playing and he's feeling that love. It's great.
‘His running, his high intensity stuff has been great. He's just shown a great desire to play for the club.
‘And he's shown real quality as well at times, which you've seen over the last few weeks. He's there on merit at the moment, and I saw a lot of those examples today. I saw it from everyone, which is really pleasing.
‘I came in with no prior feeling to anyone. I know how good some of the lads are and know them as players. I said that from day one, there's an opportunity for everyone. He's a great example, but what he has to do now is keep going.
Pompey sealed the signing of Silvera on a season-long loan in July 2024 and featured in four of the Blues’ opening five games of the season.
However, appearances would begin to dry up for the winger before being handed a first start in three months for the 3-0 defeat to Bristol City in December.
It would prove to be the Aussie’s final outing for Mousinho’s men, with supporters turning on the forward during the Ashton Gate disappointment.
His loan stint was eventually cut short soon after, with Silvera failing to score or assist in his 12 appearances on the south coast.
Why Sammy Silvera’s Pompey loan was cut short early
Mousinho told The News: ‘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 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.’
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