And the Blues prospect has his eyes firmly fixed on a 2008-09 first-team spot.

It's been a disappointing second half to the campaign for the versatile defender after it began so promisingly.

A Fratton Park debut against Manchester United was followed by an England under-21 bow as his stock rose.

Yet, during an impressive loan spell at QPR, it all went sour after Cranie broke his left leg in November.

Now the 21-year-old is on the road to recovery and aiming for a return at the end of next month.

This season's first-team hopes have long been written off.

But Cranie's itching to finally make an impression in Harry Redknapp's plans next term.

He said: 'Everything has been great so far but obviously the injury is a massive setback.

'At QPR I was in the best shape I had been in this season.

'I was playing every Saturday and midweek and it was going well. I was feeling great.

'The injury just killed it all.

'It's just one of those things. I am not going to get upset about it,
but it came at a really bad time as well.

'My loan was up in January and if I could have stayed fit I could have had a chance of coming back and being in the Pompey team.

'Then I got the worst injury I've ever had.

'It was all going so well but I'm not going to give up.

'I definitely want to stay and now I'm looking at trying to get back to full fitness, pushing on next season and cementing a place.

'That's my main aim now.

'On a personnel level, it's been a good season, really, apart from this.

'Obviously, at Pompey as well we've got a great team and good squad, so it is hard to get in.

'I'll just give it my best shot.

'I'm determined to get in there next season.'

It's been a distinct case of deja-vu for the Yeovil-born defender.

Injury checked his initial progress at Southampton after bursting into the first team when Redknapp was in charge.

Cranie spent the rest of his St Mary's career as a fringe player.

But he has no intention of it happening against at Pompey.

He added: 'A similar thing happened at Southampton when I got a run in the team.

'Everything was going so well when I did my hamstring in training on the Monday morning – I was out for a month.

'After that, someone else came in while I was getting back to fitness and it was hard.

'You just have to get on with it, though.'