Forget Paddy Lane or Colby Bishop, this Portsmouth star is leading promotion charge: View | OneFootball

After a 12-year absence, 2024 could be the year Portsmouth return to the Championship and they currently top the League One table.

The club currently have a six-point lead at the top of the table, although it is skewed as they have played more games than some of the teams around them.

Despite this, Pompey will be confident of winning promotion after a 12-year period which has seen some of the club's darkest days in their entire history.

John Mousinho's side have a number of key players, such as top scorer Colby Bishop and winger Paddy Lane, but it's experienced skipper Marlon Pack that has really stepped up in recent times and shown his EFL experience as he looks to navigate the club getting over the line.

Marlon Pack's time at Portsmouth

The 32-year-old midfielder has seen his career come full circle thanks to re-joining Pompey in the summer of 2022.

Born in Portsmouth, Pack came through the ranks at Fratton Park when they were a Premier League side, but he made just two senior appearances for the club before leaving in 2011 with the side in the Championship.

Pack would go onto become a stalwart at EFL level, playing for the likes of Cheltenham Town, Bristol City and Cardiff City, but was released by the Bluebirds in the summer of 2022.

Despite being a Championship standard player, Pack made the decision to rejoin Pompey in what was seen as a real coup for the side as they looked to escape League One after being in the division since 2017.

The midfielder made 37 appearances in all competitions for Pompey during the 2022/23 season, scoring five goals and registering five assists.

However, he's stepped it up a gear this year and assumed the club's captaincy after Clark Robertson left in the summer.

In total, Pack has made 27 appearances this season, scoring twice and registering seven assists, and has captained the side in every game he's been fit for this season.

Having someone with his experience and nous has been invaluable to Pompey and, whilst he may not get the headlines, his performances in the centre of the park have played a huge role in the club being top of the league.

Marlon Pack will be a Pompey legend if he leads them to promotion

It will be a great story if Pack captains his hometown club to promotion and leads them to the second-tier of English football for the first time in 12 years.

The last 12 years have been tumultuous to say the least for Pompey fans, and being back in the Championship would mean the world to everyone at the club.

Given the fact that Pack is Portsmouth-born and came through the club's academy when they were a successful Premier League side, it feels fitting that he could be the one to lead them back to the second-tier.