Opinion: Who else could join Matt Ritchie in making a Portsmouth return?

You could tell from his quotes in Jordan Cross’ piece on portsmouth.co.uk that the former Gosport youngster meant it.

He wasn’t just saying what he thought people would want to hear.

Ritchie said: ‘My goal is to come back to Portsmouth at some stage, have an impact … it would be great to take the club back to where it deserves to be.’

For the many of us in the fan base who thought Ritchie was sold far too soon by Steve Cotterill and those who were in charge at Fratton at that time, that is quite exciting to hear.

Of course you have to take into account the fact that, often, when former fan favourites return, it doesn't work, or at least they don’t have the impact everyone thinks they will.

The adorable Benjani is a case in point, but from what Ritchie was saying last week, it does not sound like he would want to return if his legs were going and if he didn't think he could add something to the team.

His interview set me thinking about which other players who are still plying their trade elsewhere we’d like to see back at Fratton, perhaps in the same future PFC team as Ritchie.

Well if my fellow Gosportonian is going to operate on the left (and I know he doesn’t often play there at present but I do prefer a left-footed specialist to play there so I shall insist on it), why don’t we get Jed Wallace back for the opposite flank?

Imagine those two bombing down the Fratton touchlines.

And if Conor Chaplin was one of the forwards ready to receive the duo's ammunition, I think we’d all be happy.

Who else could we tempt back for a second PFC coming in two or three years’ time?

Well we could do worse than invite Joel Ward and Enda Stevens back as full-backs.

Others who fans might be glad to see back for a swansong?

How about Greg Halford, David Nugent, Adam Webster and Asmir Begovic? All good servants and still knocking about.

We could save the biggest coup of the lot til last and add Matt Clarke to that little group as the returnees’ captain, which by my reckoning would leave us just one midfield man short of a whole new XI.

Is Kevin Dillon still playing, does anyone know…?