Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley makes Louis Thompson admission and reveals why he's signed the former Norwich midfielder

Danny Cowley admitted Louis Thompson wouldn’t be the calibre player currently within Pompey’s reach had it not been for his injury record.
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And putting aside the 26-year-old’s history on the treatment table, the Blues boss said he was confident of getting the midfielder in the right condition to be a valuable member of his squad.

Thompson has signed a one-year deal at Fratton Park, with the club having the option of an additional 12 months.

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He arrives on a free transfer following the mutually agreed decision to cancel his contract at Premier League new-boys Norwich, with Cowley confirming that the terms agreed to are ‘performance-based’.

The Pompey head coach is a huge admirer of Thompson’s ability, describing him as someone with ‘top-end ability’.

Yet he admitted his talent hadn’t been seen often enough because of injury.

Such a record saw the former Canaries player sit out the entire 2017-18 campaign with an Achilles injury, after a similar issue the season before.

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Meanwhile, he missed two months of last term with a hamstring problem when on loan at MK Dons.

Louis Thompson in action for MK Dons against Pompey last season.  Picture: Mike Hewitt/Getty ImagesLouis Thompson in action for MK Dons against Pompey last season.  Picture: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
Louis Thompson in action for MK Dons against Pompey last season. Picture: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

It’s the reason why Thompson, who was originally on trial at Pompey, has been offered a pay-as-you-play deal at PO4.

But Cowley is confident that, with the right training programme and attention, he can get the best out of the player.

Speaking to the club website, the manager said: ‘He’s a very talented and athletic player, with real power and he’s also a handful technically.

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‘I think it’s been a tough time for him in terms of injuries over the last few years and he hasn’t been able to find any fluency.

‘But we’ve done well with those players in the past and have been able to find a way to manage them intelligently and find the right training programme.

‘Louis is one of those players who would not actually have been available to us if it hadn’t been for his injury history.

‘We’ve given him a contract that is performance-based and know that if we can get him into a rhythm, then he’s got top-end ability.

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‘We’re confident that he can be a really good signing for us if we can get him out on the grass on a regular basis.

‘There are a few things we can tweak that can hopefully help him moving forwards. We feel we can be a good fit together.’

Thompson, who is the brother of former Blues defender Nathan, is Pompey’s 12th signing of the summer and is available for tonight’s trip to Millwall in the Carabao Cup.

His arrival comes less than 12 hours after Cowley sealed a deal for fellow midfielder Joe Morrell.