Much of Marlon Pack’s childhood was spent cheering on his Pompey heroes from the Fratton Park stands.
So the midfielder is delighted to be returning home after agreeing terms on a two-year deal to become Danny Cowley’s first signing of the summer.
He only made two senior appearances in his first spell at the club after progressing through the youth set-up.
So there is certainly a sense of unfinished business for Pack, who arrives on the south coast on the back of eight successive seasons in the Championship.
The Buckland native said: “I’m really happy. It’s been a weird couple of weeks and now I’ve gone full circle by coming home.
“I was afforded the opportunity to play for Pompey again – and it was an opportunity that I couldn’t turn down.
“This is my hometown club and the one I supported as a kid, but I also liked the project that was going on.
“I’ve seen the pictures of the redevelopment of the stadium and there’s work going on at the training ground.
"I was afforded the opportunity to play for Pompey again – and it was an opportunity that I couldn’t turn down."
“There were honest chats with the manager and Nicky, and I feel I can play a part in achieving success in a Pompey shirt.
“I’ll feel at home at Fratton Park, having been there as a season ticket holder when I was younger and I’ve already seen a few familiar faces.
“It was disappointing how it ended here, but when I look at what I’ve achieved since, that helped to mould my career.
“At the time it was hard, although it really helped me to develop both as a player and also as a person.
“This club has changed massively – there have been some good times and some unfortunate times. Hopefully there are a lot of good times now on the horizon.
“I’ve had numerous messages from people asking if I was coming back and although there’s no guarantee of success, I can guarantee that I’ll do my best for this football club.”
Pack joined Cheltenham after leaving Pompey in 2011, then went on to make almost 350 second tier outings for Bristol City and Cardiff.
He said: “I’ve been fortunate enough to go on a journey that I probably didn’t envisage by getting my head down and working hard.
“I’m really grateful for that and have played a lot of games in the Championship – there’s a lot of football left in me.”