Reeco Hackett-Fairchild hopes to have played his way into Danny Cowley’s thinking for the start of the 2021/22 campaign.
The forward has impressed in pre-season and hit an emphatic winner in the final friendly at Bournemouth earlier in the week.
Attention now turns to Saturday’s League One opener, as Pompey take on Fleetwood at Highbury Stadium.
And Hackett-Fairchild is eager to be involved in the competitive action to show what he can offer the side.
He said: “It was a good way to end pre-season and always nice to get some more minutes – the boys are in decent shape now.
“Getting a goal is always a positive thing for the confidence, but now I’m looking forward to getting them when it matters.
"Everyone wants to be starting that first game at Fleetwood on Saturday and you have to show the manager what you can do."
“A big part of pre-season is about showing what you’re capable of, staking a claim and earning your shirt.
“All the boys are thinking exactly the same thing and that competition we’ve got in the squad is important.
“Everyone wants to be starting that first game at Fleetwood on Saturday and you have to show the manager what you can do.”
Hackett-Fairchild enjoyed seeing the return of the Blues faithful on home soil against Peterborough last weekend.
He said: “I’ve been here for 18 months now and that was the first time I’d got to play in front of the fans at Fratton Park.
“They made a lot of noise as usual and it’s going to be the same at Fleetwood, so I can’t wait to experience that.”