Defender pledges his future to Pompey

JACK WHATMOUGH has pledged his future to Pompey.
Jack Whatmough. Picture: Joe PeplerJack Whatmough. Picture: Joe Pepler
Jack Whatmough. Picture: Joe Pepler

The central defender is in talks over a new Fratton Park deal and adamant he wants to remain.

Whatmough returned from Marbella with his team-mates last night having been toasting their League Two title success.

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Now he wants to finalise a deal to enable him to be part of next season’s assault on League One.

In the aftermath of being crowned champions, Michael Doyle has departed for Coventry and Enda Stevens’ exit to Sheffield United is imminent.

In addition, Paul Cook has been linked with the vacant Wigan manager’s job, to further unsettle the Fratton faithful.

Pompey’s boss is currently holidaying in the Algarve and The News has been unable to contact him for comment on the DW Stadium speculation.

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In the meantime, Whatmough has revealed his intention to stay.

He said: ‘I would love to stay at this club end of. There is nothing more to it, it’s as simple as that.

‘I want to be at this football club next season.

‘I need games, but to be part of something like this in a title-winning season has been fantastic. I have loved every single minute of it.

‘Although I haven’t played as many matches, I still feel part of it.

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‘At the end of the day, no matter what is happening, I am happy with my football, I have won the league, I am delighted with that.

‘I’m 20 and have just won silverware with the best bunch of boys I know.

‘I’m patient about my first-team chances, I don’t think I can go rushing into something at 20 years of age saying “I want to do this”.

‘I have won the league with some people I will be friends with for life and want to remain part of that.’

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Whatmough registered his 50th Pompey appearance in the penultimate match at Mansfield after appearing as a substitute.

Having burst onto the first-team scene, his progress has been hampered following a knee ligament injury collected in March 2015.

The Gosport youngster has subsequently been unable to gain a regular first-team spot under the reign of Cook.

However, he made 12 appearances during the title-winning campaign, also scoring a maiden goal at Carlisle in February.

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Cook is keen to retain Whatmough, who has forced his way ahead of Tom Davies in the pecking order to serve as defensive back-up.

Once a deal is completed, he must again attempt to separate the partnership of Christian Burgess and Matt Clarke.

And he is willing to try.

He added: ‘I’ll do what I can to break into the first-team and I want to remain.

‘Apart from my dad, who hails from up north, all my family are Portsmouth born and bred.

‘It means just as much to them as it does me to be here.’