Exiled Brett Pitman's Portsmouth career appears over after fresh snub

Brett Pitman appears to have played his last Pompey match.
Brett Pitman appears to have played his last match for Pompey following his latest exile. Picture: Daniel Chesterton/phcimages.com/PinPepBrett Pitman appears to have played his last match for Pompey following his latest exile. Picture: Daniel Chesterton/phcimages.com/PinPep
Brett Pitman appears to have played his last match for Pompey following his latest exile. Picture: Daniel Chesterton/phcimages.com/PinPep

Although Kenny Jackett insists the door remains open for his exiled former skipper.

Pitman is not presently training with the Blues ahead of their League One play-off semi-final with Oxford United.

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The former Bournemouth man was also omitted from Sunday’s opening friendly at Reading, where Pompey slipped to a 3-1 defeat.

According to Jackett, the 32-year-old is presently training on his own, with the club continuing to monitor his fitness through technology.

It echoes the striker’s fate at the turn of the year, when he was instructed to train away from Pompey’s training ground.

Out of contract this summer, the likelihood is Pitman’s Blues career is over, following 41 goals in 99 outings.

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Pompey’s boss told The News: ‘I will use Brett if I need to, but at the moment I have quite a few forwards.

‘If I think it’s right, I will call on him. He wasn’t involved against Reading and hasn't trained with us.

‘The door is open. In terms of where it is for Brett, if he is actually involved he will be okay with that.

‘He is training on his own at the moment. We can monitor his fitness and he is keeping fit.

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‘We have forwards, the likes of Reeco (Hackett-Fairchild) has a chance and an opportunity as well. We are quite well off for forwards at the moment.

‘It’s not necessarily about Brett being out of contract soon. It’s just my choice on the group and the squad, as it is at the moment.’

Pitman started the season as Pompey’s skipper – for a third successive year.

However, his position has deteriorated to the extent that his last appearance was at MK Dons at December’s end.

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That 18-minute substitute cameo arrived in a 3-1 loss in the Blues’ final match of 2019.

He has since made just five Pompey squads, featuring as an unused substitute on each occasion.

Pitman was removed as Blues skipper by Jackett in September, in favour of Tom Naylor, with Lee Brown his second in command.

Yet the 32-year-old continued to be around the first-team squad, scoring the winner against Bolton in September and then a last-gasp decider in the FA Cup encounter with Altrincham.

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Upon reflection, that vital November contribution appears to represent his final Pompey goal,

The striker was subsequently exiled at the start of January, when he trained with Bournemouth under-21s to maintain his fitness.

He was then called back into the Blues fold in February, initially following an injury to Ellis Harrison.

Jackett is adamant Pitman remains an option – despite his lack of involvement in training and friendlies.

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He added: ‘Brett understands. He would want to be involved if there was a chance and that still remains the case.

‘He is still happy if I call him.’

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