'A little bit of regret' - What Sky Sports pundit said about West Brom midfielder who is open to Portsmouth homecoming

Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman believes John Swift will have something to prove upon his West Bromwich Albion exit.

The former WBA and Wolves striker is of the opinion the midfielder will leave the Baggies at the end of this month as a free agent with ‘regret’, having not reached the highs expected off him during his three-year stay at the Hawthorns.

That could benefit the likes of Pompey, with The News understanding that the Blues academy product would be open to a return to Fratton Park this summer.

Yet Goodman warned the ‘talented’ 29-year-old would need to improve his consistency levels if he were to prove West Brom wrong in their decision to part ways with his services.

John Swift’s time at West Brom

Swift - who moved to WBA from Reading in 2022 following a hugely impressive six-season stint with the Royals - made 120 Championship appearances for the Baggies, scoring 18 league goals and registering 11 assists.

His first campaign at the Hawthorns was, by far, his most productive, with 15 goals and assists the product of 45 outings. But last term saw the Gosport-born midfielder find himself on the fringes more under both Carlos Corberan and then Tony Mowbray, with 17 of his 36 Championship outings coming as a substitute.

That meant the former Chelsea player’s influence in front of goal was severely hampered as he scored only three goals and set up just one other.

Those numbers contributed to West Brom finishing the 2024-25 season in ninth place, four points off the play-off positions. It also saw Mowbray lose his job after just three months in charge in April.

But according to Goodman, Swift’s struggles to find consistency was the main reason behind his fall down the Baggies’ pecking order.

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What Don Goodman said about John Swift following news of his WBA exit

Goodman remains a firm believer in Swift’s ability and is hopeful he can rediscover his best wherever he ends up this summer.

But speaking the day after West Brom ended their season with a 5-3 win against Luton - a game the midfielder was not selected for - the Sky Sports man claimed the 29-year-old will rue not showing WBA supporters his true potential.

Goodman told Football League World: ‘He is such a talented player, John Swift, a player that I really admire.

‘But, I think, in all honesty, I do not think West Bromwich Albion fans have seen the best of him over his time there.

‘He signed in July 2022 on a free transfer on big wages and I think we were all excited to see what he could do in a West Bromwich Albion shirt, but the fact that he has started less than half their league games this season, and been on the bench for most of the other games, just tells a story, really, that he was not consistent enough for Carlos Corberan and Tony Mowbray.

‘I think, although he is a talented player, and he is 29 years old, he will still have a little bit of regret that he was not able to show his true potential and find that consistency we know he is capable of.

‘I am not sure that he will get a better club than West Bromwich Albion going forward, but wherever he ends up, hopefully he will show the best of John Swift.’

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Portsmouth homecoming appeals to John Swift

The News revealed on Thursday that a move back to Fratton Park appeals to Swift, who moved to Chelsea from Pompey as a youngster in 2006.

It’s a deal that also intrigues the Blues, who are keen to add to their attacking threat over the summer.

However, there are obstacles to overcome - namely interest in the midfielder from Championship rivals, plus clubs in Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the MLS making their admiration known.

There’s also the important matter of wages, with Swift one of West Brom’s highest earners following his free-transfer move from Reading.

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