Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley admits patience has paid off after landing Blackpool winger who had Sunderland, Ipswich, Preston and Blackburn on alert last summer

He also defended the winger’s time at Blackpool, which saw the 23-year-old register just seven Championship starts following his switch from Crewe last summer.

Dale brought a frustrating 12 months a Bloomfield Road to a close on Sunday, when he completed a season-long loan move to Fratton Park.

He represents Pompey’s 11th signing of the transfer window and the 32nd new arrival at to the club since Cowley’s permanent appointment in May 2022.

Yet the forward could so easily have been one of 16 recruits made last summer as the Blues boss overhauled the squad he inherited from predecessor Kenny Jackett.

Cowley admitted Dale was high on his wish-list as his form for Crewe generated a host of admirers.

Eleven goals and two assists from 43 League games saw the Blues join Ipswich, Sunderland, Wycombe, Blackburn, Preston and Blackpool in the race for his signature.

Yet amid such competition, Pompey lost out as the wide man joined the Tangerines on loan, before sealing a permanent switch to Bloomfield Road in January for a free in the region of £500,000.

Dale’s time at the then Championship new boys didn’t go to plan, though, as he registered two goals and one assist from 15 league outings.

He also found himself further down the pecking order under new manager Michael Appleton – not that Cowley is complaining after finally landing a long-term target of his.

‘It’s been one that’s been on our radar, probably since we joined the club, really,’ said the Blues boss.

‘I think it’s something we would have liked to have done last year, potentially before he went to Blackpool.

‘It wasn’t quite possible for us then but he certainly was on our radar.

‘For us, we’ve obviously continued to monitor his progress and I think he’ll be a fantastic addition to the group.

‘He brings a real energy and fizz, he’s a really tenacious player against the ball so that allows us to play the way we would like to.’

Dale will likely be given the opportunity to kick-start his career straightaway when Pompey travel to Cardiff tonight in the Carabao Cup.

He’s set to make his debut alongside former Crewe team-mate Tom Lowery, who also made the move to Pompey in recent days.

His involvement will give travelling Blues fans their first glimpse of the player in action.

It will also give Dale the chance to prove his doubters wrong, including Appleton, who sanctioned his move to Fratton Park.

Although, according to Cowley, the winger has nothing to prove.

‘Owen actually did well at Blackpool last year,’ said the Pompey manager.

‘Neil Critchley obviously brought him in, a new manager comes in and sometimes wants to bring his own players and I think we’ve benefitted from that really.

‘I think last year he (Critchley) had Josh Bowler playing down the right, who has attracted a lot of Premier League interest, and sometimes at Championship level you can be a really good player with a really good player in front of you.

‘I know sometimes at Blackpool he played off the left, while at Crewe he played off the right or even as a centre forward, so he’ll certainly give us flexibility across all of those attacking positions.’