Danny Cowley delivers his verdict on Portsmouth trialist | OneFootball

Portsmouth kicked off their pre-season friendly action at the weekend with local trips to Havant and Waterlooville and Gosport Borough.

Free agent Andre Wisdom is currently on trial at Pompey and will be hoping to prove to Danny Cowley that he has what it takes to strengthen the club’s backline heading into 2022/23.

The 29-year-old has been unattached since the summer of 2021, when his four year stint at Derby County came to an end.

Wisdom has played in a variety of defensive roles in his career and would certainly be an eye-catching signing at League One level.

Cowley had his say on Wisdom’s prospects of earning a contract when he spoke to Portsmouth.co.uk.

He said: “We’re trying to bring in a player who can play right of a back three and maybe at right-back as well, in order to give us the balance in the squad we would like.

“He (Wisdom) had a tough year last year, hence why he’s available for us to have a look at.

“We know what a good player he is.”

Eighth and tenth placed finishes in the third tier have been below par compared to the back-to-back play-off finishes that preceded them on the South Coast, and the Cowley’s will be judged negatively if they are not in the mix for promotion this term.

The Verdict

Quiz: Can you name which club these 27 ex-Portsmouth FC players are playing for now?

1 of 27

James Bolton?

Plymouth Sunderland Wycombe Wigan

Box office attacking players Ronan Curtis and Marcus Harness are still in place at Fratton Park at this stage, with an intriguing few weeks remaining for Pompey to bolster their ranks ahead of the big kick-off.

Wisdom was a very reliable performer for the Rams for the vast majority of his four year spell at the club, and it was a surprise to see him remain a free agent for the entirety of last term.

Pompey did have their issues in the defensive third at times last season, but with Sean Raggett signing a new contract and Wisdom to potentially add to the likes of Clark Robertson and Connor Ogilvie, Cowley is slowly putting together a very exciting defensive contingent on the South Coast.