Paul Downing certain Portsmouth was right move for him as he eyes powerful pairing with Norwich loanee Sean Raggett

Paul Downing assessed his switch to Pompey and promised: This was the right move for me.
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And the Blues’ new defender has outlined a belief he can build a strong relationship with fellow new-boy Sean Raggett this season.

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Pompey fended off interest from sides including League One rivals Doncaster, who the 27-year-old impressed with over the second half of last season.

Now, after signing a three-year-old deal, Downing is looking forward to putting down some roots after a fairly well-travelled career.

He said: ‘I think I felt this was the right move for me in the summer.

‘I had a few options and I’ve had a lot of clubs recently and moved around a bit.

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‘So hopefully I can get some stability and find a home here.

Preseason Friendly - Stevenage v Portsmouth - 20/07/2019
Portsmouth's Paul DowningPreseason Friendly - Stevenage v Portsmouth - 20/07/2019
Portsmouth's Paul Downing
Preseason Friendly - Stevenage v Portsmouth - 20/07/2019 Portsmouth's Paul Downing

‘I’ve enjoyed it so far and am looking forward to the season and spending it with the rest of the lads.’

Downing and Raggett appear to be the duo in possession of the two central-defensive positions at this formative stage of pre-season, with Christian Burgess and Matt Casey other options, along with midfielder Tom Naylor.

They were paired for 45 minutes against Irish side UCD last week and that was followed with 90 minutes together against Hawks on Saturday.

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Downing knows competition will be strong but feels the new faces have the makings of a decent pairing.

He added: ‘Personally, I felt more comfortable against Hawks with Rags (Raggett) beside me (after UCD).

‘There’s good competition for places and we need that all over the pitch.

‘Whoever is going to play needs to be ready and the most important thing is the team wins.

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‘Both of us being new faces has helped us. We’ve both got to know each other off the pitch.

‘We’re trying to build that relationship on the pitch and I feel it’s improving with each game. Hopefully we can continue that.

‘There’s a chance to work on the training ground to build the relationship.

‘Hopefully it can be a strong one for us moving forward.’

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