Infamous Portsmouth loanee swaps Ukraine for China as much-travelled ex-Birmingham man on the move again

An ex-Pompey player remembered for all the wrong reasons has completed a move to the Chinese Super League.

Viv Solomon-Otabor has continued his adventures abroad by last week moving to Cangzhou Mighty Lions.

The much-travelled 28-year-old was previously with Ukraine Premier League club Rukh Lviv, while has also played in Bulgaria and Scotland.

Blues fans, of course, will recall his brief Fratton Park stay - and one particularly infamous moment.

Signed on deadline day in January 2019 to bolster Kenny Jackett’s side’s League One promotion hopes, he joined fellow newcomers Omar Bogle, Lloyd Isgrove, James Vaughan, Bryn Morris and Andy Cannon.

The Birmingham loanee went on to make 10 appearances, scoring once, and was one of the more effective signings in what proved to be a hugely disappointing transfer window.

Nonetheless, it was his substitute appearance against Peterborough in April 2019 which remains lodged in the memory, scoring the goal that never was.

Needing to beat their promotion rivals in the penultimate game of the 2018-19 season, the Fratton Park clash was poised at 2-2 when, in the 73rd minute, Brett Pitman broke down the right and, with just the keeper to beat, opted to square a pass to Solomon-Otabor.

The substitute calmly finished past Aaron Chapman into an empty net, only to be flagged for offside and the goal never stood.

Just two minutes later, Ivan Toney scored his second of the game as the Posh won 3-2 - condemning Jackett’s men to the play-offs.

Pompey subsequently lost 1-0 on aggregate to Sunderland in the play-off semi-finals to remain in League One.

Solomon-Otabor join CSKA Sofia on a permanent deal in the summer of 2019 and later featured for Wigan, St Johnstone and Rukh Lviv.

Earlier in his career, while at Birmingham, he was also loaned out to Bolton and Blackburn, with Cangzhou Mighty Lions representing his eighth club.

He was among 11 new faces unveiled by the Chinese club ahead of Saturday’s season opener against Beijing Guoan, which they lost 2-0 at home.

Solomon-Otabor, wearing the number 31 shirt, featured for the full 90 minutes in a disappointing start to the campaign.

He previously made 42 appearances for Rukh Lviv, yet had not been involved since the start of December.