'I enjoyed every moment' - Yengi on Pompey career

Kusini Yengi was part of the Portsmouth side that won promotion to the Championship in 2024

Former Portsmouth striker Kusini Yengi reflects on his two-year stint at Fratton Park with memories he will "cherish", but says he was "disappointed" by how his final season at the club ended.

The 26-year-old Australian was released by Pompey in May as they chose to not take up an option to keep him for another year.

Since then the free agent has been signed by Aberdeen and will make the switch from the south coast up to Scotland.

During his two seasons at Portsmouth Yengi made 45 appearances, scoring 13 goals and registering two assists.

"I really enjoyed every moment of my time at Portsmouth," Yengi told BBC Radio Solent.

"I made some great memories that I will cherish for the rest of my lifetime. I hope to one day have kids and take them down to Fratton Park and they can live the experience that I had there.

"The fans were amazing and I was involved with an brilliant group of players and staff. We had a lot of success in that first season and even this season too.

"I will remember this club forever - and I truly mean it."

After a blistering first season for John Mousinho's Portsmouth - where Yengi made 31 appearances and scored 13 goals to help the Blues get promoted - expectations were high for how he would fare in the Championship.

But injury prevented him from getting any real momentum - he made 14 appearances in the campaign just gone but failed to register any goal contributions.

The striker said he would have liked for the club to have kept him for another season, and that they had the option to do it in his deal.

"It's a bit of a strange one to be honest," said Yengi. "I don't think it's really set in that I'm leaving Portsmouth and that I won't be there next year.

"I found out that I was leaving probably quite close to when the rest of the public did. I was initially told my deal would be extended but then the club got in touch with my agent to say they wouldn't and I would be leaving as a free agent.

"I wasn't sure which way the club wanted to go. I didn't have the best of seasons mainly because of injury and I wasn't able to pick up where I left off last year.

"I tried to do everything in my power to get my body right and be able to give my all for Portsmouth, but this is life and football.

"Things happen and I've tried to take things from the experience so I can learn from it. I am disappointed with the way my season went."

European football 'big factor' in Aberdeen move

Yengi revealed that he had offers from around the world once news of his departure had broke.

Moving to Portsmouth was his first taste of football in the UK and Europe, having previously only played at club level in Australia.

The forward said that despite a host of offers, with Aberdeen promising the chance to play European football next season it was an attractive proposition.

After the Dons beat Celtic to win the Scottish Cup they will enter the qualifying stage for a chance to play in the Europa League, and if they fail to do that they will at minimum play in the Conference League next season.

"I'm excited for the new chapter and can't wait to get going with my new club," Yengi said.

"I had lots of options to pick from across England, Scotland and the Asian market too. It helped that I was a free agent as no-one had to pay a transfer fee for me.

"I'm ready to prove myself and improve myself as a player. Aberdeen is an amazing club and it is a really good project for me over there. I'm really excited and can't wait to get started.

"The fact that there is European football there was a big factor in me moving - I can't wait to test myself against the world's best players."