Exclusive: Teddy Sheringham discusses John Mousinho, Portsmouth promotion credentials | OneFootball

Teddy Sheringham hasn't ruled out the possibility of John Mousinho leading Portsmouth to the Premier League, speaking exclusively to Football League World.

The South Coast club had previously been stuck in League One since 2017, spending seven seasons in the third tier before their promotion to the Championship at the end of last season.

Mousinho replaced Danny Cowley back in January 2023 and was able to make a fairly decent start to life at Fratton Park, even going unbeaten during the latter stages of the 2022/23 campaign.

And last term, Pompey managed to establish themselves as the best side in the third tier by a comfortable distance, starting the campaign well and remaining consistent for much of the season.

They had a wobble during the Christmas period but performed brilliantly for much of the campaign and recorded 97 points in total.

If they hadn't slipped up against Wigan Athletic during the penultimate game of the campaign, they could have reached a whopping 100 points, but that didn't matter.

Getting back to the second tier was the priority for 2023/24, and they were able to achieve that due to a big team effort and some individual quality mixed in, with former loanee Abu Kamara proving to be a real asset.

Teddy Sheringham hails John Mousinho amid Portsmouth success

Sheringham, who spent one season with Pompey, has been impressed by Mousinho's work and believes he deserves a lot of credit.

Asked by Football League World, via TG Casino, if he believes the 38-year-old will eventually go on to manage in the English top flight, he said: "Who knows?

"He's obviously got the credentials to galvanise the club and get them out of one division, so why not get them out of another one?

"It's like when you're coming up as a player, you wonder whether you can get to the next level and then when you're playing at the next level, it's like: "This isn't too bad, is it? We're doing alright."

"I'm sure once he manages in the next division up (the Championship) and if they go on an unbelievable run which, invariably, some teams do. And if they find themselves in the promotion spots again and then do get promoted, he will relish the chance of going one step higher.

"Unless you try, who knows? But full credit to him at the moment for getting them out of that division, League One."

John Mousinho may only be in the early stages of his journey with Portsmouth

Mousinho could potentially be poached by another club at some point if he continues to do well at Fratton Park.

Clubs are often on the prowl these days for young managers with decent experience on their CV - and the 38-year-old fits in that mould.

However, it's an exciting time to be at Fratton Park and this is why it would be a surprise to see him leave anytime soon.

If he's backed in the transfer market this summer, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the south-coast outfit do well again, with Pompey able to use back-to-back promotion winners Ipswich Town as inspiration.

Even a solid midtable finish at the end of next season would be excellent though - and Mousinho has the potential to guide them there.