Much-travelled ex-Portsmouth and Barnsley enigma swaps Bolton for non-league - but has Australia in his sights

A much-travelled winger has swapped Bolton for the Southern League Premier South ahead of a switch to Australia.

At the age of 30, Lloyd Isgrove’s search for regular first-team football continues to break new ground.

The Welsh international remains a Pompey enigma, a Kenny Jackett loan signing who curiously never made an appearance during his time at Fratton Park.

Indeed, following a January 2019 arrival designed to haul the then long-time League One leaders over the line, Isgrove was included in just three squads.

He later enjoyed promotions with Swindon and Bolton, both from League Two, yet was rendered a free agent this summer.

Following three seasons with the Trotters, making 64 appearances and scoring three times, he opted to return to the south coast with Sholing.

Having started his career at Southampton, chalking up eight appearances, the attacker joined the non-leaguers in September.

He has since made nine appearances, including six starts, although on Saturday finished on the losing side in a 4-0 defeat to Tiverton Town.

It marked ex-Hawks boss Paul Doswell’s first home match in charge, with 264 present as they slipped to 13th in Southern League Premier South.

However, Isgrove has also signed for Australian semi-professional side Hume City, whose season starts in 2024.

The Melbourne-based outfit compete in the Northern Premier Leagues, below the A-League where Kusini Yengi featured for Adelaide United and West Sydney Wanderers until Pompey recruited him in the summer.

Nonetheless, it’s another challenge for the former Peterborough, Sheffield Wednesday and Barnsley man and he seeks to make memories.

Although, he won’t be particularly remembered glowingly by the Fratton faithful after his uneventful time with Pompey.

Jackett recruited him alongside Andy Cannon, Bryn Morris, Omar Bogle, James Vaughan and Viv Solomon-Otabor in January 2019 to bolster the Blues’ promotion ambition.

However, they ended up finishing fourth, before losing over two legs to Sunderland in the League One play-off semi-finals.

Isgrove, who was meant to add attacking width to the side, was hampered by injuries during his stay, although was largely simply overlooked for selection.

He made just two League One squads and wasn’t included in any during the final 10 fixtures of the campaign.

Last term he featured six times for Bolton, three in League One - now his journey has taken him to Sholing. For now.