Linganzi: A special time at wonderful Pompey

Unquestionably, Amine Linganzi’s place in Pompey history is assured.

Last week the midfielder became the eighth member of the League Two title-winning squad to depart.

Despite the Waterlooville-based 27-year-old’s desire to remain, no contract was forthcoming – with Swindon subsequently offering a new home.

It signalled the end of a special time for the former triallist who would graduate into the starting XI at Notts County’s Meadow Lane for that memorable promotion game.

Not that Linganzi ever doubted the campaign would yield such a prized goal.

After all, at the start of February he gathered his playing colleagues for a meeting to proclaim such a future.

As it turned out, 16 games and 10 wins later he was right.

Linganzi said: ‘I was really disappointed to leave, but I hope the club will be successful and I wish all the best to the players and Kenny Jackett.

‘Notts County was definitely my favourite game. I saw the fans run onto the pitch afterwards and they lifted me up. I will always remember that, it was special.

‘I always knew we would get promoted and told the players that two days before we played at Wycombe.

‘I asked for a meeting on my own with my team-mates, Mick Mellows was also there. I stood in front of about 27 players and shared a testimony of my life and how we would go up for sure.

‘My words involved telling them we needed to bring humility, wisdom and love. It was a time for no more egos and no more fights.

‘God had told me promotion would happen – and it did. We practically won every game after that and it was really positive.

‘There were defeats against Wycombe, Crewe and Stevenage, but we never dropped our heads – that was the key.’

Notts County proved to be Linganzi’s final Pompey appearance – instead occupying the bench as an unused substitute for the title-decider against Cheltenham.

During the close season Eoin Doyle, Michael Doyle, Liam O’Brien, Enda Stevens, David Forde, Noel Hunt and Stanley Aborah have departed Pompey.

Now Linganzi has followed them.

He added: ‘I need to play regular football because I have been suffering for many years.

‘At the end of this year I will be 28 and that is the time to enjoy and start going forward. Hopefully that can now happen at Swindon.

‘Last summer I didn’t have a contract and managed to have a special time at a wonderful club.

‘I met lots of good people around the club and around the city. My family were really happy to be here and I thank the fans for their support as they are such a big part in this club.

‘I think back to Carlisle when we surprised the league by winning there 3-0, we showed everyone what we could do. It was good for me to also score my first and only goal for the club.

‘I was really disappointed to leave, but that’s my strength now and I have to look to the future.’