How Sheffield Wednesday boss played vital role in Portsmouth’s Division One survival under ex-Stoke & Bristol City man

When the ex-Bristol City boss arrived at Fratton Park in January of that year, the Blues were sat in the relegation zone.

But a run of eight wins and four draws from their final 20 games of the campaign saw the 65-year-old’s side avoid the drop. They finished the season five points above the bottom three in 18th.

At the time, Moore was captain - having arrived from Bradford for a £500,000 fee two-months prior to Pulis’ appointment. He would appear at the heart of the defence in all of the head coach’s 20 games in charge over the second half of the term

And Pulis has spoken about the importance the 49-year-old had on the Blues’ survival.

Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: ‘I think he always had the ambition to go on and be a manager. If he walked in a room without opening his mouth, he is still a presence and that’s what he’s been all his career.

‘At Pompey, myself and David Kemp went in when they were in a really bad position. He was the captain and he was so helpful in lots of respects to me just stepping into that football club.

‘I’ll never forget that little bit. He talks about how I helped him but he helped me a lot at Pompey when I took over.

‘We stayed up pretty comfortably in the end partly because of Darren’s help in respect of the knowledge of the players and the people he knew better at the football club than what I did.’

Moore is set to lead his Sheffield Wednesday side into battle this bank holiday weekend as they face Barnsley in the League One play-off final.

But Pulis has remained on the fence as he delivered his prediction for the hotly-anticipated contest at Wembley.

‘Darren is one of the nicest people in football I’ve ever met. He’s a very good football man, he loves his football, very organised, very quiet but he’s assured and it’s amazing for him.

‘Barnsley have been absolutely fantastic. The job which has been done at that football club for them to get through. League One this year has been so, so competitive. You look at some of the top clubs up there, what an achievement that is (to get to the final).

‘Two of them have had good season’s but if they win they’ll have great seasons.’