Andy Cullen's Portsmouth player recruitment pledge after bringing highly-regarded transfer figure to Fratton Park

That’s the confident verdict of Andy Cullen as the Blues prepare to welcome the Forest Green Rovers man as sporting director later this month.

Hughes has established a fine reputation in the game for his impressive work on identifying talent over the last three years with the Gloucestershire-based side.

Now he’ll be challenged to transfer that success to Pompey, with the 34-year-old arriving later this month.

Recruitment is merely one part of Hughes’ remit, yet it remains key according to the Blues’ chief executive.

Cullen told The News: ‘Roberto was interim head of football operations and then took the role on, working very closely with Phil and the scouting team – so that role will continue and Rich will work very, very closely with Phil.

‘Phil’s role doesn’t change at all, he stepped up to the mark for us in the summer in the absence of Roberto, so will continue to augment what we do.

‘Undoubtedly, though, Rich’s arrival will improve our recruitment.

‘It’s another set of eyes, another voice inputting into the process to support Danny, to support Nicky, supporting all of us in terms of driving and looking for the best business which can improve the football club, but all aligned to what we want to do strategically.

‘We are building a squad. We talk all the time about looking at young emerging talent, but there’s a balance to the squad that you need to achieve.

‘This year we saw that across the summer, bringing some younger players in, recruiting some players on long-term contracts, but also getting some players with experience, which has given us the balance to be competitive this season.

‘Rich’s record is really good. If you look at a number of the players he has brought them into Forest Green, those that won them promotion last year, those players who in the summer went to Championship clubs.

‘He has a really good track record of identifying those younger players – and that’s something which is going to help us.’

Pompey recruited 11 new faces in the summer, with many having impressed early in the season.

Certainly Boardman and his staff deserve credit for the likes for capturing the likes Marlon Pack, Colby Bishop, Michael Morrison, Dane Scarlett, Tom Lowery and Owen Dale.

Cullen added: ‘We have also enhanced our Academy scouting operation and have a team of scouts.

‘Greg now has 10 scouts working across the region, district and beyond – and we want to make sure we align that whole operation together.

‘The Academy manager doesn’t report into Rich, that continues to be reporting to me.

‘It’s about aligning the first-team, Academy, scouting, analysis, sports science medicine and operations.’

MORE: Pompey chief eager to unleash newest Fratton Park recruit armed with ambitious remit after lengthy pursuit pays off

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