Exclusive: David Prutton reveals which Portsmouth FC player has been "a bit of a steal" after Championship exploits | OneFootball

Bishop has helped fire Pompey to Championship safety over the last two games

Former Premier League midfielder and current Sky Sports pundit David Prutton has praised Portsmouth for landing striker Colby Bishop for just £500,000 from Accrington Stanley, after his impressive Championship form helped them avoid relegation with two games to spare this season.

Pompey needed a strong showing over the Easter period to make sure of their second-tier survival following a poor run of previous form, and they sealed back-to-back wins over Norwich City and Watford, with Bishop playing a huge role in both games to help them secure their safety for another campaign.

The 28-year-old joined the Fratton Park outfit from Accrington in 2022 for a reported fee of around £500,000, and that has proven to be a real masterstroke over the last three years, with goals aplenty to help fire them to the second-tier, and then keep them there this season, despite going through a serious health scare that he has battled back from gallantly.

David Prutton offers Colby Bishop 'steal' verdict following Pompey Easter heroics

Bishop was a regular third-tier scorer in his time with Stanley, and he instantly carried that form over to Pompey as he netted 24 goals in 52 appearances in all competitions in his debut campaign at the club.

Mousinho's side finished around mid-table that season despite his outstanding scoring exploits, but Bishop clearly trusted the process at Fratton Park, and rightly so as they stormed to the League One title last term while he bagged another 21 strikes in 48 games.

He then suffered a huge personal setback in the lead up to his first season as a Championship player last summer, after a routine pre-season heart scan in July revealed a potential risk to his health.

The 28-year-old had to undergo open-heart surgery, and was not even registered in the club's squad for the new season, but made his triumphant return to playing with a goal against Preston North End in November.

He has since netted a further 10 goals in 30 league games, and fired home his first Championship hat-trick in a 5-3 win against Norwich on Good Friday, then scored the winner in a 1-0 victory against Watford on Easter Monday.

Sky Sports presenter and pundit David Prutton has been full of praise for the way Bishop has adapted to second-tier football, especially after his health troubles, and he believes that the £500,000 transfer fee paid for him back in 2022 was a masterstroke, considering the impact he has had on their fortunes each season.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Prutton said: “Colby Bishop...off the back of, what did we see on Good Friday, a hat-trick against Norwich? Looking like he’s scored the goals that have made sure Pompey are safe come the end of the season.

“I think, in today’s market, £500,000 for a player like that who knows his way around an 18-yard box looks a bit of a steal, to be fair.

“(He is a) nice kid as well. He’s been on (Sky) with us. And, given the stuff that he has had to work through from a health and fitness point of view, I’ve got nothing but the utmost admiration and respect for him.

“Nice fella, good player, good teammate. He fits Pompey right now, doesn’t he? And he is doing himself no harm with the amount of goals that he is scoring.”

Bishop has committed his future to Portsmouth - he is one of their most important players

Bishop has scored at a pretty consistent rate this season since he returned to action in November. He has not gone more than five games without scoring a goal for Pompey in the Championship, and is now their highest scorer in the league this season after his recent exploits against Norwich and Watford.

John Mousinho praised him as "incredible" and "a proper number nine" in the aftermath of their 1-0 win over table-toppers Leeds United last month, in which he scored a second-half winner in a vital win to aid their survival efforts.

He has instilled massive confidence in the 28-year-old over the last few seasons, and has clearly handled his return to fitness correctly in order to get the best out of his talisman for as long as possible throughout a gruelling second-tier campaign.

Bishop could well have looked to move on to pastures new this summer, with his contract set to expire and higher-placed sides potentially set to be interested in his services, but he instead chose to extend his stay at Fratton Park in February by putting pen to paper on a three-and-a-half year extension to his deal to tie him down at the club until 2028.

The striker explained to the club's official media channels that his new deal was "a blessing," and he clearly feels like a part of the furniture at Fratton Park as he closes in on three years at Pompey. He is set to continue to play a huge part in their future successes, and will be looking to continue to end the campaign on a high in their final two games against Sheffield Wednesday and Hull City.