He has been stuck in the nervous 90s for quite some time now.
But Jack Whatmough was finally able to raise his bat and celebrate a century of appearances for Pompey after starting the opening game of the League One season.
The defender looked an assured presence at the back in a goalless stalemate with Shrewsbury at an empty Fratton Park.
And with injuries blighting much of the early part of his career, he is now focused firmly on the future.
Whatmough said: “I thought it was 99, but when I saw my phone after getting back to the changing room, I knew that it was my 100th.
“I probably would have liked to reach that milestone two or three years earlier and injuries have obviously held me back.
"This is a great club to be at and I can’t really see my future anywhere else."
“Now I’m just looking forward to the next 100 because this is a great club to be at and I can’t really see my future anywhere else.
“The gaffer selected me on Tuesday night and then again for this game, so hopefully I can repay the favour by staying fully fit.
“I feel fine at the moment and it’s just about hoping the knee holds out, but I’ve done a lot of work with the physio and fitness coaches to make sure I can be in the best possible shape.”
Pompey were unable to get the new campaign off to a winning start, but Whatmough was not too down about the result.
He said: “It was a tight game – which you expect in the first one of the season – and it’s a point on the board that gives us something to build on.
“Both sides have had chances from set-pieces and have hit the woodwork, but for us defensively, it was a good clean sheet.”