Defender reveals why he turned down clubs for Portsmouth stay

Rasmus Nicolaisen has outlined why he stayed at Pompey.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The Danish defender has detailed the reasons for opting against moving on from Fratton Park in January, as he set his sights on playing a significant role in the Blues’ promotion bid.

Nicloaisen could have departed in the window, with parent club FC Midtjylland having a recall option in his loan stay.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Despite there being options to move elsewhere and the 23-year-old being limited in his playing time, he was happy to stay put.

Nicolaisen came in for his 14th appearances of the season in Tuesday’s 3-1 defeat at Bristol Rovers.

Now the left-sided centre-half is aiming to pick up some meaningful minutes after deciding to stay put at Pompey.

He said: ‘I think this is an exciting club to be at and I had some great talks.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘I’ve just liked it so far and I just want to do everything I can to help the team.

Kenny Jackett believes Rasmus Nicolaisen has improved since his below-par outing against Plymouth in November. Picture: Nigel Keene/ProSportsImagesKenny Jackett believes Rasmus Nicolaisen has improved since his below-par outing against Plymouth in November. Picture: Nigel Keene/ProSportsImages
Kenny Jackett believes Rasmus Nicolaisen has improved since his below-par outing against Plymouth in November. Picture: Nigel Keene/ProSportsImages

‘I’ve been away for my daughter’s birth, but I’m really happy to be back and now help the team as much as I can.

‘I will be giving all I can to get promotion for this team. We will go for it.

‘It’s up to the gaffer now, but I will do whatever I can now to help the team.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘We need to get on a good run, stand together and bounce back.’

Nicolaisen, along with the rest of the Pompey squad, was left surprised by the news Kenny Jackett is stepping back from front-line managerial duties for a period to undergo a medical procedure.

The former Denmark under-21 man isn’t accepting that as a reason for a drop in form after Tuesday’s loss, however.

He said: ‘We can’t use it as an excuse. The gaffer has told us and everybody about it.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘He’s made it clear about the situation and that’s how it is. We can’t change anything.

‘We can’t struggle for that reason. We just need to do better.’

A message from the editor

Thank you for reading this story. The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on our advertisers and thus our revenues.

The News is more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism. You can subscribe here for unlimited access to Portsmouth news and information online.

Every subscription helps us continue providing trusted, local journalism and campaign on your behalf for our city.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.