'He has top-end quality': Danny Cowley reveals Portsmouth long-term ambition for Huddersfield loanee - but acknowledges difficulties

However, the Blues boss remains unsure whether it’s a realistic proposition – and intends to savour the Huddersfield man’s loan presence in the meantime.

Koroma has netted three times and claimed an assist during his five Pompey outings since arriving on deadline day for the rest of the campaign.

Intriguingly, the 23-year-old is out of contract at the season’s end and expected to leave the Terriers on a free transfer next summer.

Certainly that would interest Cowley, who managed the attacker while serving Huddersfield’s head coach, before his July 2020 dismissal.

Yet Pompey’s boss is cautious over whether that ambition could come to fruition.

Cowley told The News: ‘We would like to keep Josh, absolutely, but whether that is possible for us, we’ll have to wait and see.

‘He is here for the season and it’s a really important season for him. He’s done very well for Huddersfield in the Championship and now has a year left on his contract so, as a consequence, it’s important.

‘He understands that and we understand him, we know what he wants to achieve and our job is always to try to coach the player to what they can potentially reach. That’s what we are doing with Josh.

‘Josh has top-end quality. He’s such a composed boy that it allows him to make good decisions, he looks after the ball so well in the attacking half, he can score goals and assist.

‘We think a lot of him and wouldn't have brought him here if we didn't. I know his talent is incredible, I still think there’s more to come,

‘Josh is technically a really gifted footballer, a good decision maker, yet we are also always working on him in other aspects of his game.

‘I always think the more talented you are, the harder they have to work. You must make sure your work ethic matches your talent – and that's the big challenge for all of them.’

With Pigott still feeling the effects of a flu virus, he was forced off in the 34th minute of Tuesday night’s encounter with Aston Villa Under-21s, to be replaced by Koroma.

The former Leyton Orient attacker had actually been pencilled in for 45 minutes in the second half of the Papa John’s Trophy match as Cowley sought to build up his match fitness alongside Joe Morrell.

Regardless, he responded with two goals in 10 second-half minutes as the Blues ruthlessly saw off the visitors 5-0.

He added: ‘His overall play was good that night, there was some good involvement in the other goals and chances as well.

‘Him and Joe are the ones that are a little bit short of game time – and you are always trying to find the players’ rhythm.

‘Both had disrupted pre-seasons for one reason or another, so the plan was to give him 45 minutes, but he came on a little earlier.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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