Rafferty sends message to Terry Devlin after development away from Portsmouth
Joe Rafferty sent Terry Devlin a message after Northern Ireland included the Portsmouth star in their squad for the upcoming international break.
The 21-year-old joined the Hampshire outfit in 2023 and has taken time to settle into the starting lineup.
Devlin has been a utility player for Pompey in the current campaign, playing out of position at right-back on a majority of occasions.
John Mousinho hopes to avoid Championship relegation and has relied on the Northern Irishman at times, who has gained recognition for his displays.
Devlin sent message by ex-Portsmouth ace Rafferty after Northern Ireland call-up
Devlin’s inclusion in Michael O’Neill’s Northern Ireland setup is well-deserved, Rafferty says.
The former Pompey defender revealed that he sent the 21-year-old a private message after the Green and Whites Army’s squad list was revealed for the March international break.
| Appearances (2024/25) | Goals | Assists |
| 27 | 0 | 1 |
Rafferty has been extremely impressed by the Northern Irishman’s performances this season, especially since he’s playing out of position at right-back.
Speaking to BBC Sounds (14 March), the Rotherham United ace said: “The performances he’s put in at right-back have been absolutely brilliant considering it’s out of position, playing in the Championship. I messaged him the other day because he’s had a first-team call-up for Northern Ireland. I think it’s well-deserved.”
"From the outside we all thought the boys could turn it around, I knew they had it in the locker"
— BBC Radio Solent Sport (@solentsport) March 14, 2025
Former #Pompey man Joe Rafferty has looked ahead to Preston vs Portsmouth and analysed how they've adapted to Championship life
He spoke to @Ian_Wilding1⬇️https://t.co/OptBzDdK6y pic.twitter.com/m9Pm1tAojx
Mousinho to trust Devlin after Northern Ireland selection
Devlin has been immense during spells at Fratton Park this season, but the youngster has struggled to get regular starts recently.
The 21-year-old started a run of fixtures for the Hampshire outfit in the middle of the season but has struggled for regular game time in recent weeks.
Mousinho surely recognises Devlin’s talent, but the English manager still seems reluctant to trust him fully.
Zak Swanson has been the go-to right-back recently, and the Englishman hasn’t done much wrong to lose his place in the team.
The 24-year-old seems to be Mousinho’s first-choice defender on the right-hand side, leaving the manager with a big decision to make on Devlin.
While the 21-year-old has been impressive at right-back, his natural position is in the middle of the park, where Mousinho should look to play him more.
The Northern Irishman has shown immense potential and could be part of Pompey’s senior team for years to come if appropriately developed.
Devlin is yet to make his debut for the national side, and his potential performances for Northern Ireland may convince Mousinho to hand him more opportunities going forward.