Portsmouth boss makes Josef Bursik admission as former Stoke and Hibs keeper signs two-year deal at Fratton Park
Pompey boss reacts to Josef Bursik move following keeper’s arrival from Club Brugge on transfer deadline day
John Mousinho admitted Josef Bursik had been on Pompey’s radar for some time, after the goalkeeper completed his move to the Blues on a hectic transfer deadline day at Fratton Park.
The 25-year-old signed a two-year deal with the PO4 siide after their undisclosed bid was accepted by Club Brugge - his parent club for the past two seasons.
Bursik was the first of four signings made by Pompey on the final day of the transfer window, with moves for Makenzie Kirk and Franco Umeh following, before confirmation came of Conor Chaplin’s sensational return well past last night’s 7pm deadline.
Unfortunately for the former Stoke and England under-21 keeper, Chappers’ homecoming on loan from Ipswich and the fans’ wish to see further attacking options added to John Mousinho’s squad will make his arrival one some supporters might accidentally forget in the long-term.
Yet his signing is considered just as crucial, with the Blues now boasting a goalkeeping department that consists of himself, No1 Nicolas Schmid, Ben Killip and Jordan Archer.
Meanwhile, his ability, potential and reputation among the goalkeeping union has not been lost on Pompey or forgotten, with Mousinho delighted to have Bursik on board to bolster his side’s Championship credentials. The keeper has represented England up to under-21 level and has made 50 appearances in the Championship following his emergence at the Potters.
Welcoming Bursik to the club. Mousinho said: ‘He’s someone who showed a lot of promise as a youngster and has played plenty of Championship games.
‘Josef really bolsters the options we’ve got in the goalkeeping department and is a target that’s been in our sights for a while now, so we’re delighted to get the deal done.’
Josef Bursik’s career prior to Pompey move
As mentioned, Bursik is a graduate of Stoke’s academy and gained valuable first-team experience with spells on loan at Hednesford, Telford, Accrington, Doncaster, Peterborough and Lincoln earlier in his career.
The 6”2” London-born stopper made 53 appearances for the Potters before heading to Belgium to sign for Club Brugge in January 2023.
He, however, failed to feature for the Belgian top-flight side during his time there and spent last season on loan at Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership, featuring 17 times for the Edinburgh outfit.
Bursik was part of the England side that lost the final of the European under-17 Championship in 2017 before winning the World Cup later that year.
The keeper then kept a clean sheet on his debut for the under-21s in 2020, as Albania were thrashed 5-0 at Molineux.