'It's pointless': Ex-Liverpool man salutes Portsmouth trio bucking the frustrating trend for loan players

Straight-talking Joe Rafferty has absolutely no time for loan players solely using clubs ‘just for games’.

Yet the attitudes of Alex Robertson, Abu Kamara and Tino Anjorin and their focus on driving Pompey to promotion success has earned the right-back's respect and admiration.

The trio arrived on season-long loans to benefit their first-team development, moves also designed to bolster the Blues’ Championship ambition.

Although Anjorin has suffered injury problems, impressive pair Robertson and Kamara have established themselves as key performers for the League One leaders.

And Rafferty has applauded their talent - and approach to the Fratton Park challenge.

The right-back told The News: ‘A lot of the boys have been in really good form, in particular Alex and Abs, those two lads on loan.

‘Loan players can come here just for games, yet there's no point coming here, playing 20-30 matches, and not achieving anything. That’s pointless.

‘So come here, try your best to achieve something and kick on. Those two have been really good and are doing just that.

‘I know from speaking to them when they first arrived, I said to them “You are not here for games, you’re here to get us promoted”. That’s what their attitude needs to be and it is, it is drummed into them.

‘There’s Tino as well, unfortunately he got injured, but will be back before the end of the season. He’s rated highly at Chelsea, is really good technically and physically, and a really good lad as well.

‘It’s difficult for them. Throughout my career at clubs we’ve had a lot of loan players in and you see they have a lot of potential and stuff like that, yet it doesn’t quite work for them for one thing or another.

‘Some of them go to a different club and absolutely kick on - and you think “Why didn’t it work?” Sometimes the shoe doesn’t fit.

‘I just think it’s important for anyone coming on loan to achieve something, it’s not just about playing your games and getting off at the end of it. Thankfully our loan boys have really bought into that.’

Dane Scarlett was a loan disappointment last season with Pompey and a team-mate of Rafferty.

The highly-regarded Spurs teenager made 40 appearances, scoring six times, while has recently left Ipswich following an unsuccessful Championship loan in the first half of this season.

Rafferty added: ‘Dane was probably a confidence player. He started really well and then lost a bit of confidence and didn’t quite get back to what he began with.

"It was unfortunate, but he’s a young lad with a big future ahead of him. You saw what Dane had in training and glimpses on a match-day.

‘He’s a quiet lad, really nice, but it didn’t end up quite working for him. Hopefully he can kick on with his career and do really well.’