Danny Cowley reveals Portsmouth contract hopes for 'unbelievable' ex-Swindon and Norwich midfielder

Should the midfielder appear in Saturday’s final match at Sheffield Wednesday, it will equal his most appearances for a season.

That was established in 2013-14, when a teenage Thompson rattled up 35 games for Swindon.

Since then he has been dogged by long-term injury issues, hampering a career which saw a move to Norwich.

However, under Cowley’s watchful eye, Thompson’s career has been rejuvenated, with 34 appearances and one goal so far.

And Pompey’s head coach intends to activate a club option to extend his Fratton Park stay for another 12 months.

Cowley told The News: ‘Louis has been the most unbelievable value for money and that’s how I judge the players.

‘I always think of their value for the team and within the squad – and he has done an incredible job.

‘Louis has an option – it will be a strong recommendation from me that we take it.

‘It wasn’t a gamble because it was on a performance-based deal. To be fair, it was a gamble for him, but I think he believed in our methods, what we said and the process we had for him.

‘He can be a top League One midfielder and there is a lot more to come. We can get him a lot fitter and improve his aerobic capacity – I’m really excited about what next season looks like to Louis.

‘Louis came to us in a difficult moment where he hadn't been able to put games together and, ultimately, it was a deal which worked for everyone at the time.

‘He has grabbed the opportunity with both.’

Thompson has started 18 of Pompey’s last 23 in all competitions to demonstrate his reliability.

And Cowley believes he has formed an encouraging central-midfield partnership with Joe Morrell.

He added: ‘He is very important to us, he does a lot of the dirty work, and has built up a really good relationship with Joe (Morrell).

‘He gives Joe the freedom to buzz around, while Louis is there putting out the fires, stopping the counters, securing possession and making that first pass for us.

‘He has evolved and adapted because, back in the day, he was a number eight or 10, but has changed his game for what the team needed.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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