Portsmouth boss’ no-nonsense message over marquee signing after former Cardiff City, Hull City and Oxford United man's slow start

But the Blues boss is certain the Fratton Faithful still have a lot more to see when it comes to the man billed as their marquee summer signing.

Whyte arrived from Championship outfit Cardiff this summer, amid a fair amount of fanfare over what the Northern Ireland man can achieve at League One level.

The 27-year-old has yet to hit the heights, however, with his performances showing glimpses of what he can do over consistent form.

Mousinho believes Whyte would acknowledge himself that’s been the case, with the winger nursing a hamstring injury ahead of the trip to Derby County this weekend.

But the Pompey boss is certain about what his former Oxford United team-mate can achieve for his new club.

Mousinho said: ‘If I went and spoke to Gavin about how he’s been and what he can produce, I think he would admit by his own standards he hasn’t been anywhere near his best.

‘That’s part of the reason we got Gavin, if he was at his best he wouldn’t be at this level.

‘What I’ve seen from him certainly over two seasons, is a Gavin Whyte who’s very effective at this level and certainly deserved his move to the level above.

‘He also deserved to take Hull out of this league as champions.

‘There’s plenty more in the tank from Gavin, and we’re not hiding from the fact he hasn’t reached anything like his maximum potential.’

Mousinho feels there are a number of factors behind why Whyte has yet to showcase the level of performance he’s capable of reaching.

Settling into a new club, parenthood and a lack of football at Cardiff could all be be contributory factors for the man who moved to Wales for £2m in 2019.

Mousinho added: ‘I think it’s the first time he’s played a significant run of games for a long, long time.

‘There’s adjusting to moving here and having a newborn - all of those things.

‘People don’t necessarily want to hear it, but it’s really important to take into accounts.

‘Players aren’t robots and you have to take all of those things into account.

‘Wingers are a bit more variable by their nature in terms of performances, too.

‘The think with Gav is we know we’ve yet to see his best - and are really looking forward to when that does happen.’