Danny Cowley’s Jack Whatmough and Tom Naylor admission as former Portsmouth duo prepare to make Fratton Park return

Jack Whatmough and Tom Naylor are set make PO4 returns on Tuesday night with champions elect Wigan.

Leam Richardson’s side stand on the brink of securing the League One title – and could achieve that and promotion on the south coast if results go their way.

Former Blues duo Whatmough and Naylor have been central to the Latics’ push towards Championship football, playing 44 and 41 games respectively following their free-transfer moves last summer.

Meanwhile, in their absence, the Blues are preparing for a sixth consecutive season in the third tier after failing to muster a genuine promotion push following a squad overhaul last summer.

At the time, Cowley claimed he wanted to keep the pair while saying Whatmough had ‘unfinished business’ with the club he came through the ranks at.

But both players chose Wigan as the next chapters in their careers.

And as Cowley prepared to welcome them back to their former stomping ground, he confessed the Blues paid a price in their inability to keep them.

He said: ‘I think for both Jack and Tom, they were brilliant characters.

‘I know I only got to work with them for a short period of time, but they are terrific footballers, both in their own right.

‘We were really sad to see them leave, I think our loss was certainly Wigan’s gain and both of them have been consistent throughout the season.

‘Jack has played every game, he has a lovely range of pass, can step in, can start the play for you and also defends for his life, so there is a lot to like with Jack – and I think was a well deserved place in the League One team of the year.

‘Tom’s competitive, physical, very good in both boxes, really good in securing possession and making the first pass and I think both have been really intelligent signings for Wigan.’

Last summer saw a number of the Blues’ key assets leave Fratton Park as Cowley was tasked with reducing the wage bill in order to put his own stamp on the team.

The Pompey manager said it was sad to see Whatmough and Naylor leave but confessed keeping them both wasn’t doable.

‘It’s sad for us because we wanted to keep both of them,’ added Cowley.

‘We would’ve liked to have kept them but unfortunately that wasn’t possible.’