John Mousinho: Portsmouth boss wants promotion to 'reward' supporters

If Portsmouth are promoted back to the Championship, it will be their first return for 12 years

Portsmouth boss John Mousinho said he wants to repay supporters for their faith in him by securing promotion to the Championship.

The 37-year-old is managing his first full season at Fratton Park having joined the club back in January 2023.

"The biggest thing for me is to reward the long suffering fans," Mousinho told BBC Sport.

"They have been exiled from the league above for so long, it would be brilliant if we could do it."

The Blues need just eight points from their remaining six games to secure their status as a Championship club next season.

Tuesday night offers the chance to put even more distance between them and their promotion rivals as they welcome second placed Derby County to Fratton Park.

Mousinho's role at Portsmouth is his first head coach job after previously being involved as a player and coach at Oxford United.

"Quite rightly there were probably a few eyebrows raised at my appointment," Mousinho said.

"But I've had so much support since I walked in the door.

"We have always wanted to deal with that head-on and recognise the fact that we were a left-field appointment."

Just a year and a handful of months into his Pompey journey and Mousinho's team sit five points clear at the top of League One on the cusp of promotion back to the Championship.

The Blues were last in the second tier in 2011-12 after which they faced subsequent relegations to League Two due to financial troubles.

After Tuesday night's game with Derby, they face a trip to third placed Bolton and host fifth placed Barnsley.