Lee Brown is excited by the opportunity to appear for Pompey.
But he admits that was a wrench to leave Bristol Rovers after spending seven seasons at the Memorial Stadium.
The full-back made more than 300 appearances for the Pirates, but has now penned a two-year deal with the Blues.
And he understands that supporters of his new side will be expecting an improvement on last term’s eighth-placed finish.
Brown said: “It was a massive decision and it took a couple of months to make. I’d been at Bristol Rovers seven years, had good friends, liked the manager and was comfortable.
“My time there was enjoyable, but it’s come to an end now and I’ve got to look forward rather than back.
"Nobody comes to this club and is happy to finish in mid-table.”
“Coming here is exciting. I’m used to new signings coming to me, but now I’m going to go into their club.
“I want success and hopefully we can get it here. This is a new challenge and that’s something I’ve been after for a couple of years now.
“The expectation level at Bristol Rovers was high, even though it’s probably not as big a club as this one.
“They wanted us to get into the Championship and I’m sure it will be the same here – it’s natural when you’ve got such passionate fans.
“The players and supporters probably feel the same – nobody comes to this club and is happy to finish in mid-table.”
Brown has visited Pompey on the visiting team and is now looking forward to having the supporters behind him.
The 27-year-old said: “Fratton Park is a fantastic stadium with fantastic fans and when they get behind you it makes it difficult for opposition players. They can really make a difference.”