Rejuvenated ex-Charlton winger on his debt to Danny Cowley for transforming his Portsmouth performances

And the rejuvenated winger is revelling in the challenge of maintaining Pompey’s scintillating start to the season.

Hackett’s performance levels have transformed since coming under the wing of the Blues’ head coach in the summer of 2021.

The former Bromley man was on loan at League Two Southend when Cowley originally arrived on an interim basis in March 2021, yet eventually got to work with him.

Initially struggling to make the breakthrough under Kenny Jackett, the 24-year-old has blossomed as part of the new regime.

And having featured in every game this season, including four starts, it’s clear Hackett has the trust of his current boss.

He told The News: ‘There’s only so much a manager can do, normally it’s down to the player to take on board the advice and the coaching and the knowledge, the rest is down to me.

‘But I’m a better player than when I first arrived – and a lot of that is down to the manager.

‘Tactically he has helped me improve massively, he’s helped me see the game in different ways.

‘I don't think my game has changed too much, but I see the game in different ways. I’ve been through different challenges in football that I wouldn’t have been through before signing for Pompey.

‘The manager tells me to express myself, we play a different system this year and he’s made it clear what he wants from us wingers. He has given us the platform to play freely and create and score goals.

‘Obviously I played out of position last year and that probably improved me tactically as well, I saw another side of the game I hadn’t before.

‘There was also sitting on the sidelines for a while when I first joined. I watched a lot of games and you actually learn from that, it’s a lot different from being sat in front of the TV.

‘With all these little things, I try to make positives out of the negatives, negatives which I learnt from during my opening time here.

‘I’ve had a few loans, I’ve had bad ones, I’ve had decent ones, I’ve been in and out of the team, this is part and parcel of football – and I take it as learning.

‘And I’m now a better player.’

Hackett was named in the unfamiliar role of left wing-back or left-back in 11 starting line-ups last season.

However, this term he has primarily been used on the right-hand side of midfield during 10 outings so far.

Although there was a period during the second half of the Papa John’s Trophy 2-2 draw at Crawley where he returned to the left full-back berth.

He added: ‘I see myself as a versatile player, but my favourite position is off either wing.

‘It’s not just the attacking side, we’ve always got to carry out the side that no-one wants to do, which is defensively.

‘And that’s been a massive part of our success during this good start to the season.’