Former Grimsby and Swindon target offered Portsmouth first-team lifeline after named in squad

The out-of-favour left-back has been named in the Blues’ official squad submitted to the Football League.

Had he been left off the 18-man list, Hume wouldn't have been able to feature for Pompey until at least January.

As it is, he joins John Mousinho’s first-team members in being listed, thereby remaining eligible for selection, should the Blues desire it.

In reality, the former Sunderland man will find it tough to find a way back, having seen loan moves to Swindon and then, at the death, Grimsby fall through during the window.

Nonetheless, chief executive Andy Cullen believes it’s ‘important’ the 25-year-old was included.

He told The News: ‘On deadline day we were trying to see if we could get a deal sorted for Denver Hume, but there wasn't anything there really appealing to the club to do something.

‘That’s fine and he is part of our squad list which has been submitted – and is part of the next few months here at least.

‘You are allowed 22 players and don’t have to include players under the age of 21 or goalkeepers. We have a good number of under-21s, so that gives us flexibility as well going forward.

‘If Denver’s not on the squad list then he can’t play for us. The player is contracted to Pompey, so it’s really important he’s part of it going forward.’

League One clubs can name a maximum 22-man squad for the 2023-24 season, with Pompey having 18.

However, that total does not include goalkeepers – in this case Will Norris and Ryan Schofield – and players classed as under-21.

The under-21 contract players are Terry Devlin, Josh Dockerill, Harry Jewitt-White, Abu Kamara, Haji Mnoga, Alex Robertson, Christian Saydee, Toby Steward, Ryley Towler and Liam Vincent.

Interestingly, that group also consists of Spencer Spurway, an Academy graduate who was granted an extension after injury disrupted his progress last season.

In terms of League One, only Shrewsbury and Stevenage have filled the permitted 22-man squad.

In comparison, Pompey have four senior spaces remaining, despite having named every member of their squad above 21.

And that number also includes Hume, who hasn’t made a competitive squad since April 10 against Morecambe.

Cullen added: ‘It’s fair to say there was some interest in Denver throughout the window, but nothing which could be found which appealed to both parties.

‘He could have left, you never know. Deadline day is a really weird dynamic, you see clubs with deals not getting over the line and left-field signings which people didn’t see. You don’t know what might happen.

‘In this case, if there had been something which suited both the club and the player then something might have been able to be done, it was fluid.’