Former Watford, Brighton and Bristol City target believes Portsmouth can match his ambitions

The reigning The News/Sports Mail's Player of the Season is enjoying another outstanding campaign for the Blues.

Inevitably, admiring glances continue to come in the direction of the centre-half, who previously had interest rebuffed by the club during the summer.

Clarke could potentially feature in the Championship for Pompey next season, should he secure a second promotion in three years.

And he insists that heartening progress may satisfy any personal aspirations at present.

He said: '˜I just see my future as continuing what I am doing.

'˜If I am playing well then all that sort of stuff comes with it, but I take it game-by-game and '“ as the team are achieving things '“ that's what I want to be part of.

'˜At the moment we are sitting top of League One so I don't see why Pompey can't match my ambition. I think that's something which is viewed across the squad.

'˜We have a team here that can get promoted and go again. If you look there aren't any weak links in the side at the moment and the squad is very strong as well. It's a very positive place to be.

'˜My mindset is if I keep working as hard as I can then I will eventually end up where I'm meant to be '“ and where that is we'll see.

'˜When you look at other young lads similar to you, you judge yourself on who has played the most league games, who has played the most minutes. Luckily for me I've played a few.

'˜I definitely think I can achieve things here. I don't think anybody comes to a club and thinks 'I just want to stay in this league and sit here'.

'˜You want to be at a club that's looking up, not down '“ and that is something we've got here at Portsmouth.'

The 22-year-old has played 139 times for the Blues since initially arriving on loan from Ipswich in July 2015.

Yet the modest defender plays down the calibre of his performances.

He added: '˜Maybe my performances are getting better, but I am critical of myself.

'˜Even if people don't say you are playing well, I know if I am. If people say what a good game you've had, in my head I may think 'Actually there are a few things I would do differently'.

'˜There's always stuff to work on and stuff to tweak. You have got to be critical.

'˜I am playing as well as I can I suppose, that's all you can do.'