Time to say goodbye: An inevitable exit but Portsmouth favourite’s place in folklore is assured

Paddy Lane spreadeagled riding a sea of hands across the Fratton Park turf in joyous and exultant scenes amid title victory.

A Pompey favourite - with his Fratton legacy assured

A working class lad giddy and living out all our dreams in the euphoric scenes which engulfed our city, in the wake of glorious League One title victory.

And a footballer of standout League One quality, one who took on a central role in ensuring we finally made it to the Championship after seven years of second-tier purgatory.

These are the moments Lane’s Fratton career will quite rightly be remembered for in years to come, these are the memories which will be his Pompey legacy.

As another link to championship glory is severed, our minds drift back to a season firmly etched in the Fratton annals - and the Yorkshire lad’s contribution is front and centre in that never-to-be-forgotten success.

A whopping 20 goal contributions, comprising 12 finishes and eight assists from 45 appearances, tell its own compelling story over the winger’s importance to winning League One.

There was the three goals in as many appearances, as one of Lane’s most impressive roofed finishes at Barnsley set Pompey on the way to one of their defining wins of the campaign.

Then there was the two-goal starring role in the freezing December romp at Northampton, a victory which arguably set a high watermark for quality of performance.

Or maybe ‘hitting the Griddy’ in match-winning celebration at Carlisle, his two assists at Reading and against Cambridge or final-day exploits in the League One send-off at Lincoln.

There’s much for Lane to reflect proudly over for his role in putting Pompey where they are today, contributions which shouldn’t be sullied by a difficult step up to the Championship.

Yes, last season didn’t go as planned. His endeavour was never found wanting, but the impact on games wasn’t the same as both player and team struggled early on. As John Mousinho said just this week, no one came out of that 10-game winless start with credit however.

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A move centrally at Burnley offered a potential glimpse of unlocking Lane’s influence at the level, but it was Matt Ritchie who was the man to come to the fore as Pompey’s fortunes improved.

Lane never agitated, however, and there were clear signs of adjusting to the Championship’s demands as he struck his first goal at the level amid five starts on the spin at the turn of the year.

Injury was to curtail his season at Blackburn, however, as Lane’s knee issue required surgery but his rehab was as diligent as his work in pre-season.

The signs were already there, however, a parting of ways was on the cards if the right buyer was there as the £250,000 signing entered the final year of his existing agreement. That’s been the case for much of the summer.

So there was a degree of inevitability to a summer departure, though, the timing raised some eyebrows after featuring in every pre-season game.

The feeling here was Lane may be a body who was needed now and an exit may come late in the window. Evidently, with Reading’s interest firm, now was the right time, however.

And, for all the reflecting on happy memories, this is an exit which is best for all parties.

Thank you for the Pompey memories, Paddy

At 24, there’s still time for the winger to prove he can jump the hurdle between second and third tiers, while Pompey have to find more immediate solutions.

So a cornerstone of a halcyon period departs, with our best wishes and unrelenting gratitude.

For the lad who embraced our club, city and life at Portsmouth we thank him for the memories.

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