This will be interesting, I thought a
lot about this, thought about the many different players who had played
for Pompey, (like Jimmy Dickinson, Guy Whittingham and Alan Knight).
All Pompey legends but the more I thought about it the more I realised
that I couldn't just use them, because I had ever actually seen any of
them play. So in the end I decided that my list would be the actual
players that have helped make me the Pompey fan I am, players I have
seen wear the blue shirt with pride.
This list is not by any means the best 11 Pompey players but my favourite.
1. Jamie Ashdown:
Since I first saw him play in the second season I have liked him. He is
a good shot stopper, and always works hard for the team.
2. Linvoy Primus:
What can I say, the guys a legend. To me he epitomises everything I
love about Pompey. Not the most gifted of players, but always gave his
all, was a quick learner and a hard worker. Not only did he become a
great centre half for Pompey he has become a great person and should be
used by the league to show how players can really be role models in
today's society.
3. Dejan Stefanovic:
He had the amazing ability to be simply breathtaking one week and
absolutely hopeless the next. Think it was Manchester United second
season up when we played them at Fratton Dejan put his body on the line
time and again. As I said when he was on he was a joy to watch.
4. Super Matty Taylor: Wigan 2-1. Would have to go down as being one of the most important goals in recent history.
5. Gary O'Neil:
Worked and worked his socks off week in week out. I was astounded last
season when I heard that he had spurs in his ankle and had played for
better then half the season without any injections.
6. Richard Hughes:
He has all the grace of me trying to be a figure skater, (when you all
meet me you will know what I mean) but he has this way of getting stuck
in and doing the dirty jobs. He does them efficiently and effectively.
He is the only player I have heard of that plays pretty much only the
big clubs. It was actually surprised not to see him not on the team
sheet when we played Man United recently.
7. Eyal Berkovic: I seriously don't know, I just loved watching the guy play.
8. Patrick Berger:
All I can say is that volley, when De Zeeuw passed him the ball with
his back to the goal and he flicked the ball up, turned and kicked it
on the volley straight into the top right-hand corner of the net. I
loved watching him play. He had a real awareness of what was happening
around him.
9. Benjani Mwaruwari:
He paid Zimbabwe's electricity bill. He works and works always tries to
his fullest. I never had a doubt in my mind that he could score goals.
They were always going to come. He has truly grown into a great player.
10. Teddy Sheringham: The guys like the energiser bunny. He keeps going and going and going. A superb player simply sublime.
11: Niko: All the skills of Ronaldo with out the bad attitude
So
that's my list. One of the things I love about Pompey is the way the
team battles. So much like Portsmouth as a city Pompey football club
are a team with heart, soul and the battler's ethic. When the chips are
down, you can count on something special. Each player I picked had and
has all those qualities, and for that reason they are my favourite
Pompey players.
Selected by - linvoyforengland in February 2008.
For more details on how you can select what you feel is Pompey's best 11 and then submit it to me click here…
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