Portsmouth boss addresses whether 'important role' will be filled after blow of losing ex-Bradford and Norwich man
The popular coach had been at Fratton Park since the summer of 2022
John Mousinho admits Pompey aren’t presently looking to fill the vacancy created by a surprise Fratton Park departure.
Although the head coach is adamant that, when time permits, Zesh Rehman will eventually be replaced in a role considered crucial in the development of his players.
Rehman left the Blues before Christmas to take up a job in Saudi Arabia, ending a successful three-and-a-half years on the south coast.
Under Mousinho, the former Bradford and QPR man was appointed to the new position of first-team development coach in March 2023, involving working individually with players.
Indeed, during his time at Fratton Park, many players have credited Rehman with improving their game on a one-to-one basis.
And while Mousinho insists the role is remaining, the congested festive fixture list and forthcoming January transfer window means it is not being addressed just yet.
Portsmouth boss: It’s a really important role
He told The News: ‘We will be replacing Zesh, it’s just not something we are looking at at the moment because of all the games coming thick and fast and the transfer window.
‘But it’s something we will sit down in the first week of January and will probably consider then.
‘When I took over Pompey, Zesh was just a coach and he and I were working together with the first-team. I say just a coach, he continued to be a coach, but really progressed into much more of an individual development coach, which became his official title.
‘He not only worked with younger players, but any of the senior players who wanted to improve as well, working on what it looked like for their own levels of improvement and what they needed to do better. It was about how they could work on those things away from day-to-day training.
‘That’s a really important role. I’m focussed on the games and the overall picture with the players a lot of the time, so having somebody who can develop individual players was important.
‘It wasn’t a role which existed back in my day, but I think it’s really, really important with bigger squads and also with club models where you want to develop players and increase their value and assets within the squad.
‘There are so many demands on modern players in terms of what is expected of them and how they are expected to go about their business and live their lives and play. So having somebody specifically there to improve the technical, tactical and all other aspects of the game is really valuable.
‘We still have three coaches in the building, as we were operating with three coaches last year before Michael Doyle joined. We’re going to look to fill the role, but not in the immediacy of the next couple of weeks.’
Arrived at Fratton Park in the summer of 2022
Rehman initially arrived at Fratton Park in the summer of 2022 after being appointed as the academy’s lead professional development coach.
Having replaced Liam Daish, it proved to be a short stint, with the former Premier League player called into the first-team coaching set-up following the departures of Danny and Nicky Cowley, along with first-team coach Simon Bassey.
With Mousinho taking over as head coach in January 2023, he subsequently brought in Jon Harley as his number two, yet Rehman remained as part of his coaching set-up in the role of first-team development coach.
Mousinho added: ‘Everybody around here knows Zesh, he’s a friendly guy, incredible to work with, a real pleasure - and a bitter-sweet one, really.
‘We will definitely miss him and it’s sad to see him go - but also really pleasing that he’s got the opportunity.’
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