A steep challenge - but noises being made suggest ex-Blackburn and Doncaster man can fight his way back at Portsmouth
Despite being frozen out for most of his debut season, Paul Downing’s not yet prepared to call it quits on his time at Pompey.
While many expected the centre-back would look to move on to pastures new this summer, he’s instead planning to fight his way back into the fray.
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Hide AdCertainly Downing’s bravery has to be admired after a nightmare first campaign on the south coast.
Earmarked to be first-choice centre-back in pre-season, the ex-Blackburn man found himself jettisoned from League One duty after six matches.
He’d make just five more appearances, all in cup competitions, in what he admitted was a frustrating year.
But despite being out of Kenny Jackett’s plans for most of the season, Downing's not holding any grudges and instead focused on winning back a starting spot.
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Hide AdIt’ll undoubtedly be a steep challenge for the 28-year-old given just how far down the pecking order he was.
There was a run of 15 match-day squads he was omitted from after Jack Whatmough returned from his long-term knee injury.
Nevertheless, given the noises coming out of the PO4 camp, there’s still hope Downing can revive his Blues career.
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Hide AdIt is understood that his performances in training after the Blues returned ahead of the play-offs impressed team-mates
To have dislodged either Christian Burgess or Sean Raggett for the games against Oxford was always going to be unlikely.
They'd established themselves as Jackett's preferred partnership, having demonstrated a sound relationship during the second half of the campaign.
Yet Downing’s efforts in the build-up to the game didn't go unnoticed by his peers.
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Hide AdAnd neither did his fitness levels during the lockdown period, which won the praise of his boss.
What’s more, Jackett was impressed with the former MK Dons man's work before the coronavirus outbreak when out of the fold.
‘Paul has done really well in terms of his fitness and his own physical fitness,’ he said in February.
‘It has really come on and he looks fit and ready and is really pushing.
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Hide Ad‘There is a little bit of everything he’s built up, right across the full spectrum.’
With Burgess leaving for Royale Union Saint-Gilloise and Raggett now a free agent, Downing and Whatmough represent the only senior centre-backs under contract.
With Pompey to report back for training on Monday, it’s a fresh start for Downing.
As we saw with Bryn Morris’ shock recall for the play-offs, Jackett will play whoever he believes is best suited and performing at the highest levels.
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Hide AdShould Downing recapture the form he displayed when Blackburn were promoted in 2018 and Doncaster suffered play-off defeat a year later then there’s every chance he could wrestle back a starting spot.
First, though, he must fully convince his boss.
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