Rafferty: 'I'd have been right fit for next season'
Joe Rafferty will leave Portsmouth when his contract expires this summer
- Published
Departing Portsmouth defender Joe Rafferty believed he would have been the “right person” to play as Portsmouth’s right-back in the Championship next season.
The 30-year-old will instead depart Fratton Park when his contract expires next month after sitting down with head coach John Mousinho.
“I totally disagreed with him, I felt like I was the right person for the job next season in the role but he explained that it was something slightly different he wanted,” Rafferty told BBC Radio Solent.
“We shook hands and moved on. It wasn’t an argument, just a manager and player having a really good discussion.
“It was a disappointment and a bit of a shock but that’s football - I had something in the back of my mind preparing me for it.”
Rafferty joined Portsmouth on a free transfer after leaving Preston North End in 2022 and went on to make 68 appearances for the Blues.
“For me, it’s been 100% positive. It’s been incredible,” Rafferty added.
“In my first season we played 25 games and I lost twice, this year we’ve only had five losses and one of them was the Wigan game where we weren’t quite fit for purpose.
“I was so determined to do what we’ve done this season. When you’ve really wanted something and you’ve put everything you’ve got into it and you’ve come out on top, it’s just an unbelievable feeling.”
However, injuries were the one frustration during Rafferty's stay.
He had two surgeries in his first season and bizarrely missed 3 games this campaign after injuring himself whilst drying his hair with a towel.
“I just felt my neck seize up and I thought that’s a bit sore. All the lads burst out laughing," he said.
“I thought, 'I’ll be back in training on Wednesday,' but I missed three games - it was an absolute nightmare.”