Ex-Everton, West Ham and Sheffield United man David Unsworth: I played just 19 games at Portsmouth, but those wonderful fans gave me some of the best times of my career

Recruited from Everton in July 2004, the rugged left-back netted on his Blues debut, scored another in a memorable Fratton Park victory over Manchester United, and was part of a side which triumphed over Spurs during a blistering start to the 2004-05 Premier League campaign.

The Blues’ eye-catching form saw Harry Redknapp rewarded with the Barclays Manager Of The Month for October, with Unsworth a league ever-present in those opening three months.

By his own admission, the former England defender enjoyed some of the best times of his career during that honeymoon period, revelling in the Fratton roar and a welcoming dressing room.

Then Redknapp walked out in November 2004 after an often combustible relationship with chairman Milan Mandaric was finally severed beyond repair, with Velimir Zajec the detonator.

And, after 19 games and two goals, Unsworth’s own Pompey career was also effectively over.

‘When Harry left, I was surprised – and gutted. He knew me. I was the wrong side of 30 and felt his replacement was going to be really interesting,’ he told The News.

‘When the appointment was made and it was Velimir Zajec, I knew my days there and then were numbered. I only played two more league games for Pompey.

‘Do you know what, though, I really enjoyed the four months I actually played there, loved it, some of the best times of my career.

‘We beat Manchester United – a great Manchester United side as well – and we deserved it, it wasn’t a fluke. I felt invincible at Fratton Park, we’d win every game, there was a great feel about the place.

‘In one way the atmosphere reminded me of Goodison Park, but there was always a bit of pressure playing at home for Everton, the expectation was there.

‘There was expectation at Fratton Park also, but the way the fans stuck by the team and sang for 95 minutes, I’d never known anything like it, it was unbelievable. I just loved playing there.

‘I was playing under a brilliant manager for a fantastic football club with outstanding fans. Unfortunately for me, it lasted for such a small period.

‘I blame Harry!’

With Pompey having stabilised in the Premier League following their first top-flight season in 15 years, Redknapp sought to strengthen.

The left-back position had initially been filled by Boris Zivkovic until a bust-up with his manager, with Matt Taylor and Dejan Stefanovic later employed in the role.

In July 2004, Redknapp identified Unsworth as the solution, a defender who previously served under him at West Ham and now out of contract at Everton.

Unsworth added: ‘I came to Pompey for Harry, it’s as simple as that. I worked with him for a season at West Ham and had a brilliant year playing left of a back three alongside Rio Ferdinand and Ian Pearce.

‘I was coming up to 31 and Everton only offered me a year’s contract, yet I was looking for a little more security. Then, out of the blue, Harry called and said he’d love me at Pompey.

‘It was a Friday night. My response was “I give you my word, H, I will come down and sign on Sunday”. And I did. As soon as he phoned me, it was a done deal.

‘I liked Kevin Bond, he was a really good guy, Joe Jordan is an absolute legend, love the man to pieces, Jim Smith was unbelievable, what a guy, what a guy. I got on brilliantly with Jim and the lads absolutely loved him.

‘It was an awful training ground, but that didn’t matter because there was a great feel about the place. Then you get to Fratton Park and hear the noise of the fans. My God, it’s just unbelievable.

‘For 95 minutes they don’t stop singing. I remember my dad went to an away game and stood in front of the guy with the bell (John Westwood) and he was like “Dave, you will never believe this, I was two rows in front of that bloke and my ears were still ringing all night!”.

‘It was just a wonderful place – and there was a freedom about playing for Harry. What a man-manager, you’d run through a brick wall for him, and we had a really good team as well.

‘The back four were all big, powerful lads you wouldn’t mess with, we had a bit of creativity and height in midfield, then the Yak and Lualua up front scoring the goals.

‘You know when something just clicks. My family moved down there, we felt at home, we made some great friends very quickly and had a great togetherness as a team.

‘I lived in Whiteley and a few of the boys were not far away. There was myself, Steve Stone, Shaka Hislop, Dejan Stefanovic, Arjan de Zeeuw, and about 20 kids between us, all around the same age and attending the same school.

‘The kids went to West Hill Park School in Titchfield and, by the way, that school must have made a fortune from all the Pompey footballers. I’ll tell you something, it wasn’t cheap!

‘But we were also very, very close as a team, we’d go to the David Lloyd club in Port Solent, head into Fareham for a bite to eat, socialise together.

‘We settled in so quickly, I have nothing but great things to say about the city. The people around us, the friends we made, I loved going around Port Solent for food, shopping in Gunwharf, to this day our kids still talk about West Hill Park School.

‘It was amazing. We were doing well, the training ground was buzzing – and then Harry left.’

Under Redknapp, Unsworth started the opening 13 league matches of the season as the Blues reached 12th in the Premier League by mid-November 2004.

However, the arrival of Zajec as executive director would prompt a change of manager just eight days later, with Unsworth instantly dropped for the new boss’ first game in charge against Bolton.

He’d feature just twice more for Pompey in the Premier League, before finishing the season on loan at Ipswich.

Unsworth said: ‘It didn’t feel right after Harry went, but we knew it would change. The managers they brought in after that weren't Harry and it just didn’t work.

‘I’m not being disrespectful to Zajec and Alain Perrin, I can't blame them for coming into a Premier League football club, but they were the wrong appointments.

‘Then Harry came back and showed how he shouldn’t have left in the first place and did it all over again for a second time around. And even better.

‘Harry wasn’t happy about Zajec being the executive director – and rightly so. Considering the job he had done, I totally understand why he was brassed off with that, it was if he wasn’t trusted by Mandaric.

‘Zajec took the team and couldn't win a game for fun, so it clearly wasn’t a great appointment. He wasn't my cup of tea, I didn't think he even spoke two words to me when I was there, which was really disappointing.

‘I couldn’t tell you what he was like, he never spoke to me and I couldn’t speak Croatian! He spent a lot of time talking to Dejan (Stefanovic), who’s a top man, but never any of the English boys.

‘I didn’t get an opportunity, I wasn't even around on the bench. Anybody who knows me will tell you I have to play, I wasn’t going to stay around and not play, that’s not how I am.

‘With Harry there, the dynamic was great, then suddenly you break up that dynamic. It didn’t make any sense.

‘I believe there are three fundamentals in a football club – player recruitment, great coaching and creating a great environment.

‘Harry was the best recruiter, the coaching was brilliant, Bondy, Joe, Harry and Jim Smith had great experience. It was simplistic, but it was great and kept the place happy.

‘Then you have the environment - which was superb. They were all part of creating that. The three fundamentals, the pillars of success at any football club, Harry had them all sorted.

‘Then you get rid of Jim Smith, you get rid of Harry, then another coach comes in who’s not a great coach, you’ve lost the environment and then recruited players not as good as the ones you’ve got.

‘Zajec wouldn’t pick me and instead I played the last three months of that season at Ipswich. when I came back in the summer for pre-season, the manager had changed again – but once more wasn’t my cup of tea.

‘Perrin actually seemed a nice guy, but my dad’s a nice guy and not a great football manager! And I knew my time was up.

‘I played the opening two pre-season games, then the manager pulled me in and said: “Look, you’re not in my plans”. I responded with “Fine, no problem”.

‘They left me behind for a pre-season tour to south-west France and instead I trained with the fitness coach before Neil Warnock offered the chance to go to Sheffield United.

‘That was our little adventure down south over and done with. Commuting from Liverpool and Sheffield was doable – so I returned home.’

In August 2005, Unsworth dropped into the Championship with the Blades in search of regular first-team football, later featuring for Wigan, Burnley and Huddersfield, before retiring in April 2009 at the age of 35.

Turning to coaching, he worked at Preston and Sheffield United before returning to Everton in September 2013, the club where he appeared 351 times and scored 40 times over two playing spells.

Initially the Toffeemen’s under-21s manager, he ended up becoming caretaker manager twice, totalling nine games, and Academy director, before leaving in April 2022 to pursue managerial ambition.

Then, in September 2022, he was appointed boss of National League side Oldham.

He said: ‘It was amazing at Everton, but, the way I looked at it, I’m 50 this year and, before I know it, could be into my mid-50s having not made that step.

‘I left Everton to come out of my comfort zone. I departed with the ambition of becoming a manager. While there I had never applied for a job elsewhere, but was offered four or five.

‘Yet it never felt the right fit or had the right owners to make that step from Academy football into management. Oldham were the right club.

‘It's a massive job, a huge job. Some 30 years ago this club were in the Premier League, but we’ve got new owners and are starting again with a blank sheet of paper.

‘Previously there were two owners, one who owned one side of the ground, another who owned the other side of the ground, it was an absolute mess. No money spent on the pitch, no money spent on the training ground, nowhere for the players to eat.

‘We had rat-infested offices, burst pipes at the training ground which caved in the changing room ceilings, there was a gym attached to the ground that we didn't own, car parks we didn’t own, we didn’t even own the club shop.

‘There was a lack of love, a lack of care. Thankfully the owners and board have now brought it together under one business roof where we own everything. They have done an amazing job.’

Following last season’s relegation from the Football League, Oldham are presently 14th in the National League.

And, having lost just three of their last 12 matches, Unsworth is revelling in his new challenge.

He added: ‘I have fond, fond memories of Pompey and learnt a lot from playing under Harry Redknapp.

‘Unfortunately, that great team spirit was broken and taken apart, which was a shame because we had it going there for a while.

‘I still loved it, though. Honestly, I absolutely loved it.’