Portsmouth promotion from League One should leave some Notts County transfer regret: View | OneFootball

Notts Countyhave been blessed with an abundance of attacking talent in recent seasons, none more so than what they had in their armory for their first season back in League Two in four years.

The Magpies' return to the Football League came with goals, and plenty of them. During the course of the campaign, the club amassed 89 goals, with top scorer, Macaulay Langstaff, continuing to surpass expectations as he picked up his third consecutive Golden Boot award - his second in the colours of Notts.

But in the division above, the recipient of the same accolade, Colby Bishop, was on the books at Meadow Lane during the early stages of his career, but has gone on to excel away from the East Midlands, with his goals helping Portsmouth secure the League One title this term.

Colby Bishop's Portsmouth statistics

Having joined from Accrington Stanley in 2022, the goals have not stopped flowing for the 27-year-old. With his most recent haul for the club, the second successive season, he has scored over 20 league goals, taking his overall tally since arriving on the South Coast to 45 goals in 100 appearances in all competitions.

Alongside the likes of Paddy Lane, Kusini Yengi and Callum Lang, Pompey have caused havoc for defences across League One ahead of their reunion with the second tier, with Bishop playing a huge role in their title triumph.

But with those performances has come interest, with Ipswich Townreportedly keen to strike a deal in the January window, but ultimately an agreement was never finalised.

There is no denying that rumours will continue to circulate around Portsmouth's leading marksmen, and it seems imperative that John Mousinho should do everything within his power to keep him at the club to ensure a successful return to the Championship.

But the possibility of cementing himself among the greats of the club will remain a driving factor for the striker ahead of the new season.

Having not played at this level in 12 years, Pompey are keen to reestablish themselves as a club associated with the top end of English football, with Bishop pivotal to that success.

David Nugent, Dave Kitson and Greg Halford are among the highest scorers for the club in the Championship, but their tallies are not that far out of reach for Bishop to achieve next term, with Nugent's total of 13 goals, something Bishop may have his eyes set on.

But his footballing journey started on the banks of the River Trent, and there may be some feeling that Notts County have most definitely let a top talent get away.

Notts County may have regret over Colby Bishop departure

While the Magpies boast the likes of David McGoldrick, Dan Crowley, Jodi Jones and Langstaff within their ranks, there must be some regret about letting Bishop leave so soon.

Having only made four appearances for the Magpies, the club have since signed a plethora of strikers hoping to help Notts return to their former glory, but many have ended their time at Meadow Lane in rather underwhelming circumstances, except for the odd few.

Bishop’s rise to the Championship has not been one without its bumps in the road, however, having toured the lower leagues of English football before getting his break at the Wham Stadium in 2019.

Spells with Gloucester City, Worcester City, Boston United and Leamington will all take credit for the striker’s meteoric rise in recent years, but large credit has to go down to the man himself for not giving up on his dream.

It leaves the question as if he had remained with Notts, whether Bishop would have reached the heights he currently has, or even exceeded them in the city he grew up in.

While Bishop may not be remembered for his time in black and white, he will fondly reminisce the first setback he faced in his career that has resulted in his deserved success on the South Coast.