Mousinho makes Milosevic comment as Portsmouth bin ex-Nottingham Forest star
Portsmouth have announced who will be leaving the South Coast club this summer after their retained list was released.
Anticipation was high from the Fratton Park faithful over Pompey’s retained list.
Multiple players at Portsmouth had uncertain futures with their loan deals and contracts set to expire in the summer.
Now, John Mousinho has cleared up who will be leaving Fratton Park, with former Nottingham Forest star Alexander Milosevic among those departing.
Mousinho praises ‘vital’ Milosevic despite Portsmouth departure
There have been plenty of shock departures at Portsmouth this week. League One star Kusini Yengi will leave Pompey this summer.
Also on the departures list was Milosevic, who was signed by Mousinho in March.
The 33-year-old, who had a brief spell at Nottingham Forest in 2019, has not played a single game since signing, but instead was seen as a back-up option for the defence.
Therefore, with his contract up in the summer, it was no surprise that Portsmouth decided to release the defender.
| Alexander Milosevic at Portsmouth | |
| Games he could have played | 11 |
| Minutes | 0 |
| Matches on the bench | 2 |
However, this has not stopped Mousinho from praising the Swede for his contribution
Mousinho told Portsmouth (13 May): “We would like to thank all those players leaving the club for their service and wish them nothing but the best for the next stage of their careers.
“Kusini played a massive part in our memorable League One title success just over a year ago, while Anthony and Tom are both model professionals who I enjoyed working with greatly.
“Cohen provided genuine competition at left-back after arriving in January, while Alexander offered vital defensive cover at a time we really needed it.”
Mousinho should look to Portsmouth’s academy to provide back-up next season
While Milosevic’s role at Portsmouth didn’t see him play a single minute in a Pompey shirt, he was still an important signing for the South Coast club at the time of his arrival.
If Portsmouth endured critical injuries to their defence in the run-in, it could have resulted in relegation if there were no back-ups.
However, now the 33-year-old has been released, Portsmouth should instead look towards their academy to provide similar cover next season.
There are plenty of gems in Pompey’s academy, and even if they only play one or two games, that experience could be vital in their development.
Hopefully, Mousinho sees this and aims to go this route in the next campaign.