Five teams in battle in land former Portsmouth, Cardiff and Oxford winger who remains free agent

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Gavin Whyte has five teams across the Irish Sea in a battle for his services.

The Northern Ireland international was allowed to leave Pompey on transfer deadline day by mutual consent - despite having a year remaining on his Fratton Park contract.

The 28-year-old has remained a free agent ever since and has returned his native Belfast to be with his young family.

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A cryptic message upload on to Instagram this week implied that he was set to end his footballing hiatus.

Now the Belfast Telegraph have reported his comeback will be back in Irish football. Irish League quartet Larne, Linfield, Ballymena United and former club Crusaders are apparently in the mix for offer the forward a route back into the game. Meanwhile, Ronan Curtis’ former club, Derry City - who play in the League of Ireland - are also reported suitors.

A move to Derry, though, would mean Whyte prolonging his return to competitive action, with the latest League Of Ireland season ending earlier this month and the 2025 campaign not starting again until February.

Whyte’s last game for Pompey came in August’s League Cup defeat at the hands of Millwall, with the former Oxford team-mate ofJohn Mousinho substituted after 64 minutes. He was subsequently left out of the match-day squads for the Championship fixtures against Luton and Middlesbrough, before his PO4 exit on deadline day as a free agent.

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Whyte’s Pompey departure came as no surprise, however, with his solitary season on the south coast - following a free-transfer move from Cardiff - proving underwhelming.

Three assists was all the winger could muster during his 29 league outings during Pompey’s League One title-winning season. Meanwhile, his only goal for the club came in the 5-2 defeat to Wimbledon in the EFL Trophy last December.

Upon his exit, alongside Anthony Scully, Mousinho said: ‘We wish them both well. Unfortunately things haven’t worked out quite how the two of them would have liked having been here for just over 12 months now.’

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