Pompey striker axed - after refusing to sing

The striker told how former Blues boss Paul Cook ignored him for the 2016 play-offs, after he wouldn't perform an initiation song.

Wilkinson's loan amounted to a 20-minute final-day runout against Northampton, after joining from Bolton.

The Republic of Ireland under-21 international was signed with the play-offs in mind, with Michael Smith's loan terms not covering the meetings with Plymouth.

Wilkinson, who scored against Pompey for Gillingham last weekend, has now explained the bizarre reason why he never featured.

'I wouldn’t sing,' he told KentOnline.

'I had been there for a day, I felt awkward in front of the lads.

'I said to him (Cook) I would have happily paid the fine or done something instead of sing. It was pretty awkward to have sang in front of 20 lads.

'I wouldn’t have minded had I been there for a few days or so, but after one day he wanted me to sing and I wasn’t very comfortable with it. I didn’t want to sing and he sent me back.

'I have nothing against the club, they have a good fan base and the fans sing their hearts out, it just obviously wasn’t the right place at the right time for me.'