Portsmouth ‘may have found long-term Ritchie successor’ after Australia win
Portsmouth have been massively boosted by the return to Fratton Park of Matt Ritchie this season.
The veteran winger arrived on a free transfer from Newcastle United and has helped raise the standards in the dressing room during his time back in PO4, where he once adorned the Fratton End as a youngster playing in the academy setup.
Now 35, Ritchie has shown very little sign of slowing down and has a year remaining on his Pompey deal, but in terms of the long-term future under John Mousinho, they could have the answer to take the baton when the time comes.
Portsmouth should consider Australia goalscorer
Portsmouth fans have taken a raised interest in the fate of the Australian national side since the relationship between the Blues and the Socceroos rekindled through recent players in the squad.
Kusini Yengi is in Tony Popovic’s squad, who have just beaten Indonesia 5-1 in Sydney (20 March), though the Pompey frontman did not feature and will expect to play some part against China on Tuesday (25 March).
One man who certainly did feature – and add a goal to his tally – was the exciting and direct winger Nishan Velupillay, who has also netted in each of his last two games for Melbourne Victory in the A-League.
Velupillay, 23, received his first senior Aussie call-up towards the end of last year, bagging his first goal against China in Adelaide. He is a confident forward runner always looking to make things happen, and possesses a sharp turn of pace and adept crossing ability.
His finishing, if Thursday’s goal was anything to go by, certainly delivers – and his experience for his age is significant having played over 100 games for Victory since 2021, a huge total given the fewer domestic games played in the A-League.
Velupillay could become next on English conveyor belt
Portsmouth will not, and certainly should not, be in any rush to part with Ritchie and if he performs well next season, you never know what the contract extension stance will be.
Velupillay, like Ritchie, also sees his contract expire in 2026 in Melbourne, and could consider this stage of his career the time to try his hand in Europe.
His current form suggests he will be far from short of offers, and to join an environment like that of Fratton Park with the likes of Hayden Matthews, Jacob Farrell, Thomas Waddingham and Yengi already in the building could be hugely beneficial.
| Portsmouth – current Australian players | Signed from |
| Kusini Yengi | Adelaide United |
| Jacob Farrell | Central Coast Mariners |
| Hayden Matthews | Sydney FC |
| Thomas Waddingham | Brisbane Roar |
The Australian connection is a big reason why Farrell, Matthews and Waddingham decided on Portsmouth as the best place to further develop, and for Velupillay to work under the mentorship of Ritchie would be a massive boost in getting to grips with what Pompey fans demand.
Pompey – who have been working with the Championship’s smallest wage bill – are relying on largely undiscovered gems and could certainly do a lot worse than to tap back into their Socceroos network again.