LATEST: John Mousinho reveals Portsmouth stance over summer move for Ipswich striker

And the head coach has detailed the vital role the striker can play despite his lack of match minutes,

The 29-year-old has featured 10 times under the new Blues boss, with his only start coming in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday.

Pigott has struggled for game time throughout his season-long stay from Portman Road, appearing in the starting XI just 13 times out of his 36 appearances in all competitions.

This has seen Colby Bishop the preferred option in attack under Mousinho, who favours just one striker to lead the line.

Despite his lack of match action under the new boss, the former AFC Wimbledon has caught the attention of the 36-year-old.

Pigott will enter the final year of his current Ipswich contract in the summer after he penned a three-year deal with the Tractor Boys in 2021.

And Mousinho has revealed he would be open to bringing the striker back at the end of the season should the opportunity present itself.

He told The News: ‘I don’t know what his situation is at Ipswich but everything Joe has done so far wouldn’t put me off having him back.’

In Pigott’s first start under the new head coach, he was awarded the sponsor’s man-of-the-match following Pompey's defeat to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

And Mousinho has hailed the influence the striker has both on and off the pitch and insisted he remains a vital asset to the squad.

‘I’ve been really impressed with Joe (Pigott) in terms of what he does on the pitch but I’m more impressed with Joe in terms of what he does off the pitch and in training.

‘He’s kept his head down, he’s trained hard, he’s been brilliant around the place, he’s a lively character.

‘It’s not just about that, it’s not just what he does to keep the morale of the squad up and keep smiles on faces but it’s also how good he is out there (on the pitch).

‘He’s been really unlucky for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the shape change hasn’t helped in playing with just one up top but also Colby’s (Bishop) form.

‘One thing which is really good with Joe is that we asked him to drop into the number 10 position so he could link the play between the midfield and the forwards.

‘It’s a testament to what a player he is to do that because he’s used to playing against two centre halves and we’re asking him to drop in and be a bit cleverer.

‘We knew he could do it and he’s a really good option to have.’