'A breath of fresh air': Portsmouth weigh up permanent deal after triallist impresses in Slovakia
The former Pompey Academy keeper has been trialling with the team in Slovakia
Pompey are exploring the possibility of adding another goalkeeper to their Championship squad.
And goalkeeping coach Joe Prodomo insists triallist Stuart Moore is firmly in the frame, having impressed during the Slovakian training camp.
With Toby Steward joining St Johnstone on a season-long loan, former Blackpool man Moore answered a Friday night SOS to link up with the squad at their base near Bratislava the following day.
That enabled them to train with four keepers, with the 30-year-old joining Nicolas Schmid, Ben Killip and Jordan Archer on tour.
Prodomo admits Pompey are weighing up permanently adding a fourth goalkeeper, with Steward effectively now out of the building for the season.
And with the squad returning to England on Friday, former Blues Academy keeper Moore has ‘done himself no harm’ in pushing his cause.
‘He has trained to a really good level’
Prodomo told The News: ‘We would be open to adding another goalkeeper to the group, but it would really have to be the right fit. We would also have to really analyse where everyone that’s already in the building would be in the pecking order.
‘I wouldn't rule out us adding another goalkeeper to the group at all, but it would have to be the right profile and the right fit.
‘In terms of Stuart himself, he has been a breath of fresh air around the place, a really good guy who has trained to a really good level.
‘The testament to his character is we probably had our first phone conversation at 7pm on Friday night. I think I interrupted his shop at Tesco’s. We are really grateful to him for joining us and what he has added on and off the training pitch.
‘We are open minded. We’re in the stage now where we know Toby (Steward) is out of the building, we will discuss and review where we are at and that could lead us potentially to adding another goalkeeper to the group.
‘Stuart has done himself no harm whatsoever. He has been a pleasure to work with on a day-to-day basis and trained really, really well. If we need to recruit in the future, his name will be in the mix.
‘At the moment, the initial conversation was just about us coming to Slovakia. Now, over the next few days, we will have conversations about what any recruitment need would look like for us.
‘We have friendlies starting to come into the schedules, it’s about what minutes we want to attribute to which goalkeeper and whether we want to use them as opportunities to look at people that we may add to the group.
‘Stuart has massively helped us this week and I would like to think we have massively helped him. We will see what the future brings.’
Back at Portsmouth after a 14-year absence
Moore previously represented Pompey’s Academy 14 years ago, although left for Reading at the age of 16 having turned down a Fratton Park scholarship.
In a much-travelled career, he has featured for Peterborough, Luton, Swindon, MK Dons, Blackpool, Doncaster, Basingstoke, Wealdstone and, last season, Morecambe.
And Prodomo has explained the reasons for wanting to add a potential fourth goalkeeper to their ranks this season.
Why Portsmouth need a fourth keeper
He added: ‘It’s what the benefits of adding a fourth one to the group are.
‘There's the obvious training need, which has become clear in the last two years. We do like it from the manager’s needs. For the type of sessions we try to create, four is a really good number to work with and gives you really good security.
‘If loan opportunities come up for goalkeepers or injuries happen, you are not suddenly at panic stations. While at our level when possible, we travel with three anyway.’