Eddie Howe explains how Brett Pitman started training with Bournemouth after being frozen out at Portsmouth

By Will Rooney
Published 12th Feb 2020, 17:00 BST
Updated 12th Feb 2020, 17:42 BST
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Eddie Howe has explained how Brett Pitman started training with AFC Bournemouth’s under-21s after being frozen out at Pompey.

The former Blues skipper is firmly on the periphery of things at Fratton Park, having now been omitted from the past nine match-day squads.

Pitman had been a sporadic presence around Pompey’s Copnor Road base from around Christmas and underwent his own regime at home ahead of the League One victory over Sunderland earlier this month.

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The forward subsequently began training with his former club, though, after calling in a favour from Howe.

While the Cherries boss didn’t go into detail why Pitman’s fallen out of Kenny Jackett’s Pompey plans, he believes it’s a win-win situation for the Premier League outfit.

Howe told the Bournemouth Echo: ‘Brett rang me and said “would you mind if I trained with your under-21s?”

‘I didn’t go into detail about his own situation, but I said “of course”.

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‘It’s good for our young players to see an experienced player of Brett’s calibre coming in and training with them. It can only boost them and do them good to look at him and learn from him.

Brett Pitman has been frozen out at Pompey. Picture: Joe PeplerBrett Pitman has been frozen out at Pompey. Picture: Joe Pepler
Brett Pitman has been frozen out at Pompey. Picture: Joe Pepler | PinPep - Images to be used only for Portsmouth FC and The News publications (including online platforms). Images cannot be reso

SEE ALSO: The Brett Pitman saga and a hard-headed decision to send a Pompey fans' favourite on his way