One transfer fee, three years, seven loans and no Portsmouth games: Farewell to a Fratton talent unfulfilled

Aside from the headline shocks of Pompey’s retained list, there were some departures which barely raised a ripple of acknowledgement.

Indeed, Liam Vincent’s Fratton Park exit was neither controversial or outrageous. More a shrug of the shoulders in quiet acceptance at a sad, yet inevitable, farewell.

The Blues supposedly beat off a number of Premier League clubs to sign the exciting 18-year-old attacking left-back from Bromley in June 2021 for an undisclosed fee.

Yet during three forgettable years on the south coast, he never played competitively for Pompey, while spent seven loan spells in non-league football.

Admittedly, Vincent endured some wretched luck along the way, particularly the leg injury which sidelined him for the opening 13 months of his stay. In fact, injuries became a regular feature of his time with the Blues.

Crucially, though, both Danny Cowley and John Mousinho lacked belief in the youngster, declining to grant him even an outing in the EFL Trophy on the occasions he was available.

Although credited as Cowley’s first signing following his appointment as permanent head coach, in truth he always insisted he had very little involvement in the agreement.

Instead Vincent’s June 2021 arrival was overseen by interim head of football operations Robert Gagliardi, having identified the defender as one for the future rather than first-team ready.

Indeed, Vincent arrived at Fratton Park with injury issues, having struggled at the tail end of the 2020-21 season with Bromley - with the problem escalating in only his second Blues training session.

Initially believed to be shin splints, the injury was significantly worse, turning out to be a stress fracture of his left shin, ruling him out of first-team involvement for 13 months.

There was actually a brief return, named as a substitute in successive League One games at Lincoln and Gillingham in November 2021, albeit unused, before another injury set-back.

Vincent finished 2021-22 with four outings for the Academy, having been eased back into action with pre-arranged 45 minute and 60-minute spells.

The youngster finally re-emerged in the summer of 2022 and was handed a maiden Pompey outing in a July pre-season friendly at the Hawks - marking the long wait with a free-kick goal.

The 19-year-old impressed following his half-time introduction in front of the 3,000 crowd and afterwards spoke of at last being injury free and ready to kick on with his Blues career.

Vincent totalled seven appearances during that pre-season schedule, featuring for both the first-team and Pompey XIs, before being sent out on loan in August 2022 to National League Maidstone.

However, he returned after just 76 minutes of first-team football and was soon off to National League South Hampton & Richmond, where he featured 15 times and scored a Boxing Day hat-trick against Worthing - his next destination.

Indeed, he netted on his debut for The Rebels against Eastbourne, totalling 17 appearances during the second half of the 2022-23 campaign and impressing in what was his third loan club of the season.

By now John Mousinho was Pompey’s head coach, with a left-back pool of Connor Ogilvie, Denver Hume and the promising Harvey Laidlaw - with Jack Sparkes soon to arrive.

Initially Mousinho weighed up converting Vincent into a left-sided midfielder, using his attacking instincts as a conventional winger, and he featured in a number of positions during the 2023 pre-season.

Tellingly, though, Vincent subsequently was not included in first-team squads for friendlies against Crawley and AFC Wimbledon, with Pompey instead earmarking him for another loan.

There were two separate spells at Worthing, both one-month arrangements, in which he rarely featured, then in November 2023 he went to Chelmsford, only to collect an injury on his debut.

The fourth loan of his season was at Tonbridge Angels, once again at National League South level. Initially arriving in January for a month, this was extended for the remainder of the campaign.

Now aged 21, Vincent’s hugely disappointing time at Fratton Park is over, having found himself among 10 players released in the aftermath of the League One title.

Understandably, Sean Raggett and Joe Rafferty attracted the majority of the attention, yet also spare a thought for the player bought for a transfer fee, yet never played for Pompey.