Ex-Norwich man: I came to Portsmouth to win promotion - three years later we're further behind

The 28-year-old is braced for another promotion ‘failure’ having slipped to 11th in League One following a dismal defeat at Cheltenham.

There were angry scenes among the travelling support following the appalling 1-0 loss which leaves Danny Cowley’s men 13 points adrift of the play-offs.

Raggett initially arrived on the south coast in June 2019 on a season-long loan from Norwich.

That campaign ended with a penalty shoot-out defeat to Oxford United in the play-off semi-finals, while last term saw the Blues slip out of sixth place on the final day.

Now in his third season, the in-form central defender once again expects promotion heartbreak.

Skipper Raggett told The News: ‘I have said it ever since I came here, the aim has been to get promoted.

‘If we don’t do that then it’s a failure – and we have to take that on our shoulders.

‘The season has just been so streaky, there are periods where we look a really good team and there are periods when we look a really poor side. I don’t know why that is.

‘We’ll never give up and will keep right until the end and see where that takes us, but this is the furthest we’ve been outside the play-offs since I’ve been here, which is disappointing.

‘I came here looking to get promoted, that’s why everyone comes to a club like Pompey in League One.

‘We have some good players here, but just haven’t shown it enough this season.

‘I’ll look back on my season at the end of it and take what I can from it.

‘My aim here every year has been to get promoted – and I’ll take that over anything else in terms of accolades.

‘Promotion has been my aim every single season since I’ve been at Fratton Park, so we are not giving up on it.

‘But if it doesn’t happen, then it’s another disappointing season for me.’

Raggett has totalled 135 games and 12 goals for the Blues during almost three years at Fratton Park.

However, he is among 12 players out of contract this summer and undoubtedly there’s the possibility he may depart.

The former Lincoln man has enjoyed an outstanding campaign and is among the leading contenders to claim The News/Sports Mail’s Player of the Season.

Raggett added: ‘On Saturday, we won the ball so many times in Cheltenham’s defensive half of the pitch and didn’t quite turn that into chances, which has been the story of our season.

‘The players are massively disappointed, it’s a group of people that want to do well for this football club.’