Portsmouth FC mourn the death of Jon Gittens

The central defender, who made 99 appearances for the Blues and scored two goals, has died at the age of 55.

Signed by Jim Smith from Middlesbrough ahead of the 1993 season, Gittens remained at Fratton Park until the summer of 1996.

Prior to his arrival at Pompey, the defender enjoyed two spells at Southampton. His playing career, which spanned 16 years, also included time spent at Swindon, Torquay and Exeter.

Following his retirement in 2001, Gittens joined the coaching staff at Fareham Town, before being made manager.

His last management role was with Blackfield & Langley (2007-10).

Former Pompey and Swindon midfielder Alan McLoughlin paid tribute to Gittens on social media.

In a tweet from his Twitter page, McLoughlin said: ‘Cant believe to hear that Gitto has passed away.

‘Three clubs we shared together, hundreds of games together, thousands of hours training and travelling with our team mates. Thank you for all the memories Gitto x.’