Right club at wrong time for unfortunate Luke McGee as he departs Portsmouth for Forest Green Rovers

Luke McGee is to be admired for selecting The New Lawn to stage his footballing renaissance.
Luke McGee has joined Forest Green Rovers following 55 appearances at Fratton Park. Picture: Barry ZeeLuke McGee has joined Forest Green Rovers following 55 appearances at Fratton Park. Picture: Barry Zee
Luke McGee has joined Forest Green Rovers following 55 appearances at Fratton Park. Picture: Barry Zee

It also symbolises Pompey’s remarkable goalkeeping strength during Kenny Jackett’s ongoing reign.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In truth, McGee did very little wrong during his three Fratton Park seasons, certainly barely enough to warrant sinking to third-choice keeper consideration.

Granted, there was that Bury moment, a mistake which perhaps defines his Blues stay, albeit harshly considering his number of good displays in the shirt.

It arrived in his maiden Pompey season, during which he amassed 50 appearances – a feat shared with Jamal Lowe. No player featured more that campaign.

Alex Bass was surprisingly selected for the final match against Peterborough, a week after McGee’s Gigg Lane error. Yet it was portrayed as the chance to hand the youngster his Football League debut in effectively a dead rubber.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

There was also Stephen Henderson’s brief return in February 2018 that same campaign, briefly dislodging the former Spurs man before collecting an injury near the game’s end.

Nonetheless, McGee was Pompey’s number one – and deservedly so.

However, the excellent signing of Craig MacGillivray and strong emergence of Bass would conspire to restrict him to five appearances over the next two seasons.

McGee was unfortunate. His quality is obvious and, during other eras, would have been the Blues’ undisputed number one.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

How Paul Cook could have done with his ability during the 2015-16 campaign, when he rattled through goalkeepers at an alarming rate before the following year settling on David Forde.

A confident and vocal character around the camp, McGee was never short of belief or a word. He was a first-team goalkeeper in every sense, yet in the right place at the wrong time.

Firstly, Craig MacGillivray surpassed him. Surely one of Jackett’s finest signings, he arrived from Shrewsbury desperate to seize a regular spot following demoralising service as a number two.

The likeable Scot was subsequently ever-present in the 2018-19 season, while a Wembley penalty save was pivotal towards the Checkatrade Trophy triumph over Sunderland.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

McGee himself played five times that campaign. The December 2018 turn-out in a 2-1 victory over Arsenal under-21s in the Checkatrade Trophy would be his final Pompey outing.

With Bass progressing encouragingly, the former Peterborough loanee tumbled even further from favour in the summer of 2019.

Not invited on the pre-season tour and left out of the entire friendly programme, he was made surplus to requirements by Jackett, yet couldn’t fix up a move.

When he finally managed to head on loan to Bradford, albeit after a switch to Cheltenham collapsed over financial demands Pompey’s end, it finally offered the football he craved.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Unfortunately for McGee, he featured just four times before regular keeper Richard O’Donnell returned from injury. Then the lockdown intervened and the season was curtailed.

Still, with his Pompey deal ending this summer, the 24-year-old departed – and this week fixed himself up with League Two Forest Green Rovers.

Mark Cooper’s side finished 10th last term, their second season in the Football League, while represent a progressive club.

The stage is set for McGee to take the spotlight once again. Good luck to him, he thoroughly deserves a break.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Thank you for reading this story. The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on our advertisers and thus our revenues.

The News is more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism. You can subscribe here for unlimited access to Portsmouth news and information online.

Every subscription helps us continue providing trusted, local journalism and campaign on your behalf for our city.

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.