Portsmouth transfer news: John Mousinho reveals why former Coventry and Colchester midfielder became Blues' sixth signing of the summer

The midfielder penned a two-year deal with the Blues on Wednesday evening as the Fratton Park outfit continued their busy start to the transfer window.

Stevenson joins Will Norris, Terry Devlin, Conor Shaughnessy, Christian Saydee and Anthony Scully in moving to PO4, following his departure from Forest Green Rovers this month.

The 26-year-old will compete for a place in the Pompey engine room with Marlon Pack, Tom Lowery, Joe Morrell and Devlin as head coach John Mousinho and sporting director Richard Hughes stamp their authority on the Blues first team.

There’s no doubt the former Coventry and Colchester man’s arrival came as a surprise, with many fans requiring a quick look on Google to see exactly who the club’s latest signing was.

In fairness, further assistance might still be required. Yet according to Mousinho, Stevenson is a player who ticks a lot of boxes.

Giving his assessment of his latest addition, the Pompey boss said: ‘We’re bringing in a player who covers all the positions in the middle of the park.

‘He’s a really good footballer and an excellent character as well, so we’re delighted to have him at Pompey.

‘Ben will be looking to add a few more goals and assists to his game, but he’s got all the attributes we’re looking for.

‘I think he complements the guys we already have in the building and has an important role to play off the pitch, as well as on it.’

Prior to his move to Fratton Park, Stevenson featured 79 times for Forest Green following his free transfer move from Colchester in June 2021.

In that time, he helped Rovers win promotion from League Two but couldn’t help them avoid the drop back to the fourth tier last season.

Viewed more as a defensive midfielder, he’s scored 11 goals in 224 games to date.