How Bristol City loanee Cameron Pring is escalating Portsmouth's battle of the left-backs

And Joe Gallen is convinced Cameron Pring is establishing himself as a worthy adversary to Lee Brown.

With Brown sidelined by a hamstring tear, the loanee from Bristol City has been handed another other opportunity to shine.

Following an initial flurry of four outings in seven fixtures after joining the Blues in August, Pring is back in the first-team.

Tonight’s trip to Plymouth (7.45pm) will represent his third straight League One and FA Cup appearance in Brown’s outing.

And Gallen has been impressed with the 22-year-old’s displays during his fledgling Pompey career.

The Blues’ assistant manager told The News: ‘Cameron was out of it for four or five games and probably wondering where the next start was coming from, with the team having settled a little.

‘He came in at Lincoln and played well. He’s a natural left-back, defensively solid, gets his blocks in, tackles and defends the back post.

‘But what he really wants to do is distribute from left-back and get forward to put the ball into the box, which is what we want him to do as well.

‘With Cameron, he has the pace to beat his man and whip the ball in. He has a lovely left foot.

‘We’re also encouraging him to take set-pieces, which he has never done before. We think he can do it, which is another aspect of his game to work at.

‘We always want our left-back to be solid defensively and then, at the right moment, we’re looking for some distribution and quality going forward.

‘Cameron possesses the aptitude to do both – and has done very well.

‘He and Lee Brown are going to have a good battle for the left-back spot all season.’

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Pring, who is at Pompey on a season-long loan from Bristol City, had previously not featured above League Two.

League One represents a level previously unexplored for the attacking full-back.

Gallen added: ‘Cameron’s a very good player and, if you speak to him and get to know him, he is a solid person as well, a solid character.

‘There’s a steely determination behind quite a placid facade and I think he has a lot of potential.

‘Part of every full-back’s game is when the ball drops to them they have to distribute, find some passes, play their way up the pitch, then in the final third come up with some quality crosses that we can score from.

‘Both Lee and Cameron are capable of that – and neither to the detriment of their defensive work.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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