View: Portsmouth give hint towards importance of Kusini Yengi this season as Mousinho makes gesture
Portsmouth have paid a potentially big gesture to Kusini Yengi ahead of this season by handing the Australia forward the number 10 shirt.
Head coach John Mousinho has handed Yengi the iconic number with an important season anticipated from the 25-year-old in 2024-25.
Pompey released their squad numbers on their official website and social media on 30 July, coinciding with the release of the team’s new away kit, posting a graphic on X illustrating each first-team player’s updated digits.
Yengi’s move to the number 10 allows compatriot Jacob Farrell to take on his 19 shirt, having completed a move from the Australian A-League last week.
Conor Shaughnessy moves to number six following a stunning season last time out, Tom McIntyre has changed to 16 and new signings Josh Murphy, Sam Silvera and Jordan Williams take 23, 20 and two respectively.
Yengi working towards breakthrough Portsmouth season
Yengi’s impact in a Portsmouth shirt has been productive since arriving from Australia and he has taken the demands involved in his stride of balancing his club career with his international duty and the travels it entails.
He began to grow in confidence and flourish towards the end of last season, and scored nine times in League One despite only starting seven of his 26 matches in royal blue.
With Colby Bishop out for a period of time which Pompey have not yet ascertained as he requires heart surgery, Yengi is currently Mousinho’s first choice to spearhead the attack, with Danish striker Elias Sorensen also expected to be a Blues player by the weekend.
Yengi is an affable character who has quickly endeared himself to the Fratton faithful, and is popular among his teammates.
He appears above all to be enjoying his football, appreciating his opportunity and if he plays his cards right this year, will become a much higher-profile player in the Championship – whether that benefits Pompey in the long run remains to be witnessed.
In other Portsmouth news, Eric Eisner has had this to say about the refurbishment of Fratton Park.
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