‘He’s been frustrated’: The vilified £1m Portsmouth striker rubbing team-mates up wrong way on former Millwall and Bristol Rovers man's return to goal trail

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
Former Pompey striker John Marquis put his frustrations behind him to finally hit the goal trail for his latest club.

And his current manager has told the former £1m Fratton striker is antagonising his Shrewsbury team-mates amid their struggling start to the season.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Marquis bagged two goals and grabbed an assist to help Paul Hurst’s side to a much-needed victory, in a dramatic eight-goal clash with Crawley.

Salop ran out 5-3 victors at Broadfield Stadium, in a clash which also saw Blues academy graduate, Josh Flint, sent off for the home side.

The man who signed for Pompey five years ago hasn’t enjoyed the best of starts to life in Shropshire, after moving to the sixth permanent club of his career from Bristol Rovers in the summer.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The 32-year-old came out of the starting line-up after a string of early-season defeats, but came back in for the past two games before breaking his duck at the 10th time of asking.

Marquis isn’t remembered so fondly in many quarters of Pompey’s fanbase, despite a decent goal return of 36 finishes in 121 appearances.

And some of his Shrewsbury team-mates aren’t too enamoured with the front man’s demands on them in training, according to Hurst.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Speaks to the Shropshire Star, Hurst said: ‘At times, he (Marquis) has been a little frustrated, and I get that.

‘I have not got a problem as long as you train properly. I don't expect you to be the happiest person in the world if you are not in the team.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘That can be difficult for players because it is a balancing act. Be disappointed, but show the right attitude to get back in the team.

‘They have heard me say it many times already, anyone who wants to go into sulking mode will just push themselves further away from the team and will only get an opportunity if we have got no-one else.

‘In fairness, the players have done that, John has done that. I said when I brought him in it was yes of course what happens on the pitch but also around the place as well.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘He sometimes gets on at players which is received well and is sometimes not. But it cannot always be the staff that do that, sometimes it has to be team-mates. There is nothing wrong with that. We are trying to drive standards, we are trying to improve.

‘He gets the game, that is certainly something he has. He has his experience, and dare I say it because I am still quite a lot older than him, but he feels quite a lot like he is more from my generation, in terms of the know-how of what is needed.’

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.