On this day: Pompey boss backed to leave for Hammers

The Blues boss had been installed by bookies as the most likely candidate to succeed the sacked Gianfranco Zola.

The Italian was shown the door at Upton Park after less than two years in the job.

That led to Grant invariably being linked, following his heroics to lead Pompey to the 2010 FA Cup final.

The former Chelsea boss had made no secret of being unsettled at Fratton Park because of the ongoing financial chaos.

Grant insisted he would stay if the club was put back on a stable footing.

But along with Slaven Bilic and Mark Hughes, he was being heavily tipped for the West Ham job under new owners David Sullivan and David Gold.

Speaking 24 hours before Zola’s departure, Grant again admitted his uncertainly at Pompey.

He said: ‘I don’t know whether I will stay because I don’t know what will happen with the club.

‘I love this club and I want to stay. But I don’t want a season like this again – not 50 per cent, not even 20 per cent of it.

‘We need to wait and see what will happen with the club for next season.

‘As a manager, I haven’t known which way the club was going.

‘But I always knew what I could focus on and that is football and fighting.

‘But it was very difficult to come in every day and you don’t know what will happen.

‘That is not for me any more and not for the club in other seasons.’