Regan Poole is eager to be let loose after becoming the 10th player to arrive at Fratton Park this summer.
The Welsh centre-back has agreed a two-year deal on the south coast after leaving Lincoln at the end of last season.
With most of the squad already having a couple of weeks of pre-season under their belts, he has some catching up to do.
But Poole revealed that he is fit and firing, and believes that his preferred style of play is aligned with John Mousinho’s footballing philosophy.
The 25-year-old said: “I’m delighted. This is such a massive club and I’m excited to be part of this journey – hopefully we can get to the next level.
“There’s been long-term interest and it’s taken a while to get the deal done, but it’s finally happened and I liked the prospect of being here from the start.
“It would have been nice to get the deal done earlier, but I’ve been training every day and am ready to hit the ground running.
"I’m a centre-half who looks to get on the ball and carry it forward and make things happen – that’s what I was brought up to do."
“I want to make up for a bit of lost time, even if I haven’t missed too much and have kept myself ticking over.
“This club speaks for itself with the stadium and the fans. I’ve played here many times and it was always a tough place to go, so I know what the atmosphere is like.
“I know where it wants to go and everyone wants to be in a higher division. I want to be successful and am here to help in any way.
“I’m a centre-half who looks to get on the ball and carry it forward and make things happen – that’s what I was brought up to do.
“The style the gaffer wants to play is one of the reasons I’m here because I felt it was a really good fit for me. “
Poole was signed by Manchester United from Newport as a teenager and made a Europa League appearance for the top-flight giants.
He said: “You could never turn that opportunity down because it’s such a brilliant football club and it made me the person I am today.
“There’s a lot for me to thank them for and not many people can they’ve played for Manchester United. Nobody can take that away from me.”