Portsmouth skipper Tom Naylor's message to Kenny Jackett with eyes still firmly on landmark

Tom Naylor believes he can take on a gruelling fixture schedule without a break as he closes in on his Pompey century.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

And the Blues skipper has reiterated his messsage to Kenny Jackett not to rest him - even if a frenzied run of games is laid down to complete the season.

Naylor’s side still have 10 games on their programme for this term, with the campaign at a halt amid the coronavirus crisis.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

That’s made of up nine league games and their Leasing.com Trophy final with Salford City, with there also the possibility of play-off matches to consider.

The idea of a busy programme and even multiple mid-week games has been floated at various times, as the best options to complete the season are weighed up.

Naylor has completed 96 appearances since joining from Burton Albion in the summer of 2018 - and has his eyes firmly on completing an impressive century of outings before the season’s out.

He said: ‘I was thinking the other day I still want to get to that 100 mark.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘We spoke about it a few weeks ago and maybe I’ve stumbled a bit with what’s happening.

Tom NaylorTom Naylor
Tom Naylor

‘But as long as the season restarts I think I will get to that number.

‘I think it would be nice to do it and I’m prepared to take that challenge on.

‘I’m prepared to do anything, even if it means playing Saturday-Tuesday-Thursday.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘I’m going to tell the gaffer I’ve got an excuse for playing all those games because of the time we’ve had off! I can tell him I don’t need a rest!’

As well as uncertainty at how the football season will pan out, Pompey has found itself at the heart of the Covid-19 narrative with five players testing positive for the virus.

Naylor has told of the panic that caused for him as he faced an extended wait for his test results.

He added: ‘I had to wait to do my test and all the lads had results, but I still had to wait for mine.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘I was getting really paranoid and thinking if Andy had it there was a good chance I would have it, too.

‘Before the lockdown I was seeing my mum and dad, so I was getting worried about that.

‘I’d seen people I would’ve passed it on to if I’d tested positive.

‘So it wasn’t until the Sunday I got a text saying I was all clear.

‘I was over the moon with relief because everyone had been texting me asking about the results.

‘It was a relief I hadn’t passed it on and to be able to tell everyone I was in the clear.’

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.