'My choice': An emotional Christian Saydee on why he needed to leave Portsmouth
The striker was recruited from Bournemouth for around £90,000 in May 2023
Christian Saydee insisted he drove an ‘emotional’ Pompey departure to progress his playing career.
And, in a candid interview, he thanked his ‘friend’ John Mousinho for allowing him to do so.
Saydee was subsequently touched by the messages of support from the Fratton faithful, in addition to Pompey players from the present and past.
After 73 games and seven goals since his June 2023 arrival from Bournemouth, the powerful attacker had grown frustrated with being a regular fixture on the Blues bench.
And it was his end-of-season meeting with Mousinho which paved the way, after the head coach agreed to Saydee’s wishes.
Former Portsmouth man: ‘I went to John Mousinho for advice as a friend’
He told The News: ‘The gaffer was a big part of me leaving, we went over it in my end-of-season meeting.
‘I went to him more of a friend for advice rather than a manager - and he advised me. I was 22 at the time and also, considering my time at the club, at that point I needed to play more games.
‘We talked and he made me realise. That was a big moment for me. He was pleased I could possibly go out and get minutes somewhere else, but, at the same time, said he still wanted me around. However, he was never going to stand in my way if I wanted to get more matches elsewhere.
‘That was a big thing. Most managers would go and screw you over, but he was open enough to allow me to go out and experience something else.
‘He wanted to keep me, if I was still around it would be nice, but he wasn’t going to stand in my way - and I thank him for that.
‘I don’t think any player is happy sitting around and being on the bench. Sometimes you don’t realise how much you want to be on the pitch, it’s kind of a blur when things are going so well for the team, we’re all happy.
‘But, when you come away from that and realise a football career is very short, you want to get your game time and do as well as you can do. It’s one of those things that have to happen in football if it’s not working out how you want it to - and the club have been so nice and open to letting me go out and get minutes.
‘I enjoyed every single minute of it. I was a professional footballer for the first time at Pompey, I came as a boy and have left as a man.
‘When I was released by Reading, it didn’t cross my mind that one day I would score in the Championship. It’s something you would love to do, always, but for it to actually happen is another feeling.
‘Hopefully the fans saw how passionate I am, I like to think I show it a lot in games. I feel we had a really good connection, but this is something I needed to do.’
43 matches as a substitute in two seasons
Of Saydee’s 65 league appearances, 43 came off the bench, while he started just one game after the 5-1 defeat at West Brom in January.
With 12 months remaining on his deal, the Blues could have retained the striker - yet instead made a profit on the £90,000 they splashed out for him two years earlier.
And another League One title-winning hero has swiftly followed Kusini Yengi in a summer departure from Fratton Park.
‘It was emotional leaving Portsmouth’
Saydee added: ‘It was emotional leaving, so difficult. I sat on the players’ chat for 30 minutes deciding whether to send them the message I had written, I couldn’t believe it was real. I sent it after an hour in the end!
‘It was difficult for me to put some words together and say goodbye to them. Portsmouth was a big change in my life, I got so much experience, we won League One and then played in the Championship.
‘I saw myself as a kind of little brother to Colby, he always tried to guide me through things. Josh (Murphy), Skip (Pack), Matt (Ritchie), Shocks, everyone was my big brother, I could always talk to them.
‘Everyone will always remain in my heart.’
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