Clark Robertson enjoyed his first taste of action in a Pompey shirt – and is hungry for more.
It was the low-key surroundings of the Imperial College Sports Ground in Harlington where the Scottish centre-back made his bow.
He played the first 45 minutes of a 2-1 behind closed doors friendly defeat to QPR at the Championship side’s training base.
And he is expecting to move through the gears as the pre-season programme continues ahead of the new League One campaign.
Robertson said: “It was good just to get back out there again – I hadn’t played any football since the back end of April.
“So to get 45 minutes under my belt was nice and although I felt a bit rusty, that’s probably to be expected.
“I was able to blow a few cobwebs away and it was just good to be able to play in a Pompey shirt and start to build some relationships.
"To get 45 minutes under my belt was nice and although I felt a bit rusty, that’s probably to be expected."
“The coaching team want us to play fast, attacking football and you could see in this game that we were pressing high up the pitch when we didn’t have the ball.
“It was very competitive contest and I expect QPR to be pushing at the top end of the Championship table, so it was a useful workout for us.
“The games are coming thick and fast now and there will be some tough training sessions between them.
“You’re not going to feel as sharp as you want to be at this stage because you’re working so hard, but that will come.”
Robertson is excited about the opportunity to appear in front of Pompey fans for the first time at Havant & Waterlooville on Saturday.
He said: “It hasn’t been the same playing without the supporters, so hopefully there will be decent backing there.
“I think it’s going to be brilliant this season. I’ve played at Fratton Park before and it’s a real buzz, so I can’t wait.”
Tickets for Saturday’s match at Westleigh Park – which kicks-off at 3pm – are available to buy online from the home club.