Ex-Portsmouth winger Jamal Lowe warns of the biggest challenge facing clubs with Championship aspirations

And he has pinpointed increased running distances as the crucial difference those eyeing promotion from League One will soon experience.

The 25-year-old made the leap in July, departing for Wigan having turned out for Pompey in Leagues One and Two.

He has since scored three goals in 39 appearances, with Paul Cook utilising the attacker across his front line, including as a striker and a number 10.

And Lowe admits it has been a tough maiden season at Championship level as he continues to adapt to greater challenges.

He told The News: ‘It’s a big jump between the leagues. From what I’ve been told, it’s the biggest jump in football in comparison.

‘When you look at everything, the fitness levels, distances you run, quality of players and calibre of teams, it is a big jump.

‘The example I use when highlighting this is on average in League One you would run 10k a game – in the Championship it is between 12k and 12-and-a-half.

‘That’s the easiest way to get your point across, these two numbers. I’ve no idea where you get that extra 2k from, but it has to be done.

‘I thought I worked hard at Pompey. Then at Wigan you see the numbers in training the next day after a match and you wonder how you managed it, I’ve never run that far in my life! I always thought I was doing high numbers, now they’re even higher.

‘It does take time to adapt. There’s a saying – tired legs and tired mind – so you must train your mind to enable better decisions and to execute technique while you are tired.

‘There are a lot of League One players who will be technically good enough or even better than players in the Championship. However, fitness and consistency are massive.

‘At Pompey, we went from League Two to League One to challenge for the play-offs in our first two seasons, while Luton were promoted again in their first season. Compare that to how teams struggle coming into the Championship.

‘It’s crazy to think the jump from the Championship to the Premier League isn’t seen as that much by people who have experienced it. I can’t imagine it being a little jump, personally I think that will be another massive step.’

Cook has retained belief in Lowe through Wigan’s struggles against the drop, starting him 31 times in the Championship.

And through that show of faith, the winger is convinced his form has improved.

He added: ‘It has probably taken me the course of the season to adapt.

‘Once you get halfway through the campaign, having played everyone once, you get to learn and watch so try to adjust your game and add things which you previously didn’t work on as much.

‘As the season has gone on, I think I have got progressively better.’

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