Portsmouth boss reveals surprise secret weapon in summer transfer chase
Pompey have found an unlikely way to convince younger players of their first-team worth at Fratton Park. John Mousinho reveals all.
John Mousinho has explained how Pompey are using a lack of under-21 side as a weapon in their player hunt.
Mousinho: ‘We’re bringing them in to affect first team’
The Blues boss has detailed how his club can utilise the lack of a development group when convincing younger players to make the move to Fratton Park.
And Mousinho has revealed how using that approach was an asset when convincing Aussie new boy Adrian Segecic to move to PO4 this summer.
A lack of under-21 set-up has been a bone of contention for many fans, who see such a set-up as an important part of player development.
Mousinho acknowledged that’s something the club would like to do moving forward, but in the mean-time it’s proving helpful when highlighting to young targets they are being recruited to impact the first team.
That was certainly the case for Aussie Adrian Segecic, who chose Pompey over a host of big names from across Europe and even the Premier League.
The attacker would have been eligible for an under-21 team and could have possibly ended up in one, if choosing some of the options at his disposal.
As it is, Mousinho was clear he’s coming in to impact the senior set-up in the short and medium term with similar approaches used, no doubt, for countrymen Hayden Matthews and Thomas Waddingham - who are both also in the under-21 category.
Mousinho said: ‘We probably take a lot of flak at the club for not having an under-21 side. It’s something we’d love to do, but can’t at the moment.
‘One of the things in attracting younger players to come in is saying we don’t have an under-21 side, so we’re bringing you in to affect the first team.
Pompey boss: ‘It’s an attractive thing for players to hear’
‘There’s been some players in the past couple of seasons that’s not been the case for, but very few.
‘Reuben Swann is one, who was brought in to develop into a first-team player at some point. With Reuben, though, he didn’t have to affect the team tomorrow.
‘We haven’t got time to allow him to develop in a 21s set-up, even though he is 20 years of age.
‘We haven’t got the resources to do that or time to loan him out. It’s very much “you’re playing for Portsmouth”. We’re going to help you be good enough, but you have to be good enough now.
‘That’s a really attractive thing for players to hear.’