Oli Hawkins: I loved played centre-half for Portsmouth - and see it as a future role

But he still sees a few more years of mileage in operating as a striker.

The 28-year-old is presently a free agent and previously spoken of the disappointment at being released following three years at Fratton Park.

It was during his Blues stay that the former Dagenham & Redbridge man dipped his toe into the water as a central defender.

Hawkins ended up playing 16 times in his new role, suffering just three defeats and largely impressing.

His final outing at centre-half was against Peterborough in December, yet the 6ft 6in player is open to featuring there again for prospective employers.

He told The News: ‘I liked being put into defence. The last two years as a Pompey player I wished I’d played in defence more.

‘If you look at the stats, I lost three games in 16 as a central defender – and one of those was against Southampton in the FA Cup.

‘I did make a couple of mistakes against Peterborough – and no fan wants to see their centre-forward play centre-half – but I feel I could have had a good season in that position and done well.

‘There was less pressure playing at centre-half, I could enjoy my time there more than as a striker.

‘At centre-forward there was always criticism from fans. I would be taken off after 50 minutes, I’d be on the bench or out of the squad at times, but I enjoyed it in defence. The focus wasn’t on me that much.

‘Then I wasn’t allowed to play there any longer because I made a couple of mistakes against Peterborough.

‘I told the manager I wanted to carry on at centre-half. Yes, I made a couple of mistakes, but it’s the only way I’m going to learn. I wouldn’t want to throw in the towel, I wanted to carry on and go again.

‘I missed the next game, at Accrington, through the birth of my son, Jett, and never played at centre-half again.

‘Basically, from having the conversation saying I wanted to be centre-half, and to let me to try to do this, I was out of the team and three weeks later back as centre-forward on the bench.

‘The one good thing, however, is Rags and Burge had a really good partnership and went on to do really well.’

From December 21, when Pompey beat Ipswich 1-0, Sean Raggett and Christian Burgess thrived as a central-defensive pairing.

Hawkins, then solely viewed as a striker, made just 13 more squads in 2019-20, making five appearances.

He final touch for the club was scoring a penalty in the play-off shoot-out defeat at Oxford United.

He added: ‘I’d like to play centre-half again in the future, 100 per cent.

‘I feel I have another few years as a striker before I look there. If a team was interested, I would try it as long as I would be able not worry about being taken off.

‘Just give me a right go at it, even if I do make a couple of mistakes early doors.’

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