Midfielder interviewed in Cambridge programme
It was last season when Ben Close made his senior debut for Pompey.
But the teenage midfielder has had to wait until the last few weeks to enjoy a sustained run in the side.
The academy graduate has started each of the last six games in the Blues’ engine room.
And now Close wants to help Pompey improve their patchy form and move back up the League Two table.
“There have been some ups and downs, with our performances in the cup competitions being a big positive,” he says in the official matchday magazine for Saturday’s clash with Cambridge.
“We’ve also had some decent league displays, although many of them were earlier in the season and we have faded a bit in recent weeks.
“We’ve got the most draws in the league, so although we haven’t lost many, we know we can do a lot better.
“But there’s still plenty of time to change that. There are a lot of games remaining to get to where we want to be.
“Consistency is very important, though. You only have to look at Northampton, who have been on a great run since we won there in December.
“They’re now top of the league and clear of everyone else, so we need to do something similar.”
To read the full interview – where Close also discusses Pompey’s successful academy set-up – pick up a copy of the matchday magazine from programme sellers around the ground on Saturday.
Also in issue 23, Conor Chaplin dishes the dirt on his team-mates and Michael Smith selects his dream team.
We take an in-depth look at Cambridge before delving into the archives to take a walk down memory lane.
There are also exclusive columns from chairman Iain McInnes, manager Paul Cook and skipper Michael Doyle.
All this and much, much more in a packed 84 pages is available for just £3.